The civil works of the cold storage facility being established in the industrial zone currently under development in Thinadhoo City are proceeding uninterrupted, according to the project's contractor, Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC).
The project in the Thinadhoo Industrial Zone, located in the area allocated to the Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO), includes the foundation works for the cold storage, foundation works for a diesel tank, construction of a single-story 4,790 square foot administrative office building, a single-story 261 square foot chemical storage building, and a single-story 266 square foot salt storage building. It also involves laying reinforced concrete paving over an area of 3,050.363 square feet. The project, funded by the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), was awarded to MTCC on July 12, 2023.
Revealing the latest details of the project yesterday, MTCC stated that 52% of the civil works for the cold storage, chemical, and salt storage facilities have been completed. The company noted that masonry and plastering works are currently underway. Looking solely at the cold storage work, MTCC reported that 25% has been completed. Additionally, the company stated that 48% of the administrative office work is also finished.
While the establishment of a 1,000-ton cold storage facility to provide necessary services to fishermen in Huvadhoo Atoll is progressing swiftly in the Thinadhoo Industrial Zone, the government's target is to complete the facility and begin services next year. Fisheries Minister Ahmed Shiyam previously stated that President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu wants the Thinadhoo cold storage work completed and fish purchasing to begin in 2025, and the ministry is doing everything possible to expedite the work. If the government achieves this target, the facility will become the first cold storage to become operational in South Huvadhoo Atoll.
Huvadhoo Atoll is the main hub for pole-and-line fishing in the Maldives, with many vessels from various parts of the country operating in the area. The lack of capacity at the Kooddoo Fisheries Complex (KFC) to weigh all the fish caught by these vessels is one of the biggest problems currently facing fishermen. The completion and operationalization of the Thinadhoo cold storage facility will provide a permanent solution to this issue.
