Delimara power station to use low-sulpher oil

The turbines at the Delimara power station will start being fired by low sulphur oil next month so that the plant will come in line with EU rules on emissions.

The move will, however, come at a cost, as this more environment-friendly oil is far more expensive than the normal kind.

This decision was taken a few weeks ago following failed attempts in the past four years to reduce the emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO2) from the electricity generation plant without the need of using this alternative fuel.

Enemalta sources told The Times that, since 2004, Enemalta engineers have managed to reduce the emissions of sulphur dioxide from the power station considerably.

In fact, from a situation of producing 5,900 mg/Nm3 (milligrammes per normal cubic metre) of sulphur dioxide in 2004, the emissions of this hazardous gas thrown into the atmosphere was brought down to 1,350 mg/Nm3 at the beginning of this year. However, this was still above the 1,210 mg/Nm3 allowed by the EU directive related to emissions from large combustion plants, known as the LCP directive.

"We made various attempts in the past years to make the necessary reductions without the need to use low sulphur fuel to fire Delimara," a source said.

"Despite impressive cuts in our SO2 emissions, we are still over the EU limits and now we have no other alternative but to switch the fuel we use to low sulphur. This will also mean a much higher cost to run the plant and to produce energy."

Although very effective in lowering emissions, the low sulphur fuel is considered to be much more expensive than the oil currently used to fuel the electricity generation turbines.

Oil has already become a very expensive commodity with prices on the international market currently at all-time highs.

The choice to switch to low sulphur oil at Delimara was taken following a decision taken by the European Commission last January to refer the issue of emissions from the Delimara power station to the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

According to European Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas, data supplied by the government to Brussels last December showed that the amount of dangerous gasses being emitted by the plant was higher than the levels permitted under the EU's LCP directive. He said that, following various warnings to Malta on this issue, the Commission decided at the end of last January to refer the issue to the ECJ.

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

The other power station, in Marsa, does not fall under the requirements of this directive as it is an old plant which according to EU rules has to be closed down in the coming years. The government has already announced plans to close the Marsa plant in 2015.

Meanwhile, The Times has learnt that Malta did not manage to meet the Commission's deadline to supply data on the amount of greenhouse gas emissions (CO2) emitted by its power stations for 2007.

The deadline elapsed at the end of last month, but Enemalta, which is responsible for this data, failed to provide Brussels with the necessary information on time.

Enemalta sources told The Times that, although the corporation had concluded its fieldwork and has collected the necessary data, this still has to be certified according to international standards. The sources said that, since Malta has no accredited verifier, a Greek company designated to do this work has still to conclude its report.

The sources said that Enemalta should be in a position to send its verified data in a few days' time.