Housing Development Corporation (HDC) has started the dredging operations for Thilafushi Phase II, signaling the beginning of the development of an industrial hub in the Kaafu Atoll.
The dredging operations, awarded to China-based Harbour Engineering Company Limited, are part of the government’s efforts to find solutions to the issues faced in the industrial sector. HDC reported that the dredging is currently underway, with the construction of a bund wall underway in Area C, which covers 20 hectares of land. The dredging operations will be completed in three phases.
HDC intends to reclaim 150 hectares of land, of which 60% will be available for businesses. Currently, over 200 businesses are already operating in Thilafushi, a lagoon that was first reclaimed in 1991 for waste management. Since then, HDC has repeatedly reclaimed land, increasing the area to 100 hectares. The last reclamation project in 2016 added 22 hectares. The government has now decided to develop a new industrial hub in the still-unreclaimed portion of Thilafalhu.
HDC will undertake the dredging, reclamation, and shore protection of the 160-hectare Thilafushi Phase II, which will be divided into six zones for different industrial works, including major and minor industrial works, a liquefied natural gas plant, and mixed offices and small businesses.
