Focus on renewable sources of energy - October 6, 2003

An exhibition to promote the use of renewable sources of energy was held yesterday at Bay Street.

The event was part of the Green Energy Go campaign by Youths and Environment Europe, organised locally by the youth sections of Nature Trust BirdLife.

Nature Trust Youths coordinator Jason Bonnici pointed out that the Malta Resource Authority has said that by 2007 five per cent of the energy produced in Malta would be from renewable sources and the EU has a tentative target of 22 per cent until 2011.

Given that Cyprus and Israel had already made great progress in the area of renewable energy, Nature Trust Youths maintained that Malta could do more.

"Malta started late, but with the appropriate drive, the percentage of renewable energy use could be increased faster," Dr Bonnici said.

Renewable energy "made sense" for Malta, particularly in view of the amount of power cuts in summer.

By 2005, it was envisaged that consumption would equal demand, which would mean a need for more energy production.

"Once the third stage of the expansion of Delimara power station was completed and consumption continued to grow, what would Malta do", he asked.

The high levels of asthma and hay fever were also cause for concern, Dr Bonnici said, pointing out the need to reduce air pollution, a result of the burning of fossil fuels from the power station and through transport.