Monitoring equipment at power plants by year's end

The power stations in Delimara and Marsa will be monitored by the end of this year in order to establish whether they are emitting any dangerous gasses, the European Commission has been told.

Brussels started putting pressure on the government to monitor the power plants after Malta was found not to be in compliance with its EU obligations on emissions by large combustion plants.

The government had admitted that monitoring equipment at the Delimara power station had stopped working and was not replaced.

It now seems that the situation will change and work is already in hand to install the necessary monitoring equipment in Marsa and Delimara.

Replying to a parliamentary question by Labour MEP Joseph Muscat, Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said Malta has promised to put its house in order by the end of the year.

"From the information submitted by the Maltese authorities, the Commission understands that work concerning the installation of the continuous monitoring equipment at both plants is currently being undertaken and that the complete system should be operational by the end of 2007," Mr Dimas said. Infringement procedures by the Commission against Malta for not supplying information on emissions emitted by the two plants are still in place.

Combustion plants, such as power stations, emit a number of dangerous substances, such as nitrogen oxide and dust, which if not controlled, affect the respiratory system. EU laws limit such emissions and member states are obliged to monitor and report emissions to the Commission.

Mr Dimas said that, to date, no information regarding emissions from either plant has been provided to the Commission to prove compliance with the emission limit values of the LCP (Limitation Of Emissions Of Certain Pollutants Into The Air From Large Combustion Plants) Directive. He said that a reasoned opinion, the second stage of legal procedures, was sent to Malta last June. If the Commission is not satisfied with the Maltese reply it could decide to proceed to the next stage of legal procedures by taking Malta to court.