SmartCity Malta is 'leading energy-efficient development'
SmartCity Malta said today that its energy requirements would be 41.2MW, as explained in an Environment Impact Assessment which gave a detailed breakdown of these requirements.
Referring to a number of statements on the energy-efficiency implications of its operation, SmartCity said it was the leading energy efficient development in Malta.
It said it had invested in and carried out an exhaustive and professional Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) which has been submitted to, and accepted by, MEPA. The next step of this process would be the holding of a public hearing following which the EIA wouldbe concluded.
"The infrastructure requirements and plans for SmartCity were developed by the leading international firm Mouchel (www.mouchel.com). Mouchel computed the energy requirements for SmartCity Malta at 41.2 MW. The EIA provides a detailed breakdown of these requirements," SmartCity said.
"It is important to point out that this requirement is the result of significant energy-efficiency measures included in the design process of the project. It is also important to point out that the EIA is based on the principle of 'Worst-case scenario', since the impacts of the worst possible situation have to be taken into consideration."
SmartCity said it was unlikely that the full load of 41.2 MW would be eventually used. However, the supply capacity to the project had to be in line with this requirement to ensure that if such demand was required then the national infrastructure would not be failing the project.
"Serious ICT and Media businesses will NOT be attracted to a business park which has a questionable degree of power supply. All competing jurisdictions in this field recognize this and in any case exclude all possibilities of not providing sufficient supply of electricity to an ICT and Media cluster which will employ thousands of knowledge-workers," SmartCity said.
It said the project at Ricasoli was being developed in line with the international LEED (Leadership in Energy Efficiency Development) standards, a first in the development sector in Malta.
"The adoption of these standards within the SmartCity township has required a significant investment being made to make sure the sustainability element of the project is not only promoted but also put into actual practice. This is in accordance with the sustainability leadership role which TECOM Investments has assumed in Dubai and practices throughout all its entities, including nine TECOM Business Parks such as: Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City and Dubai Knowledge Village."
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Philip Grech
Sep 5th 2008, 07:37
Quote from Enemalta Electricity GenerationPlan 2006-2015: "Presently Enemalta has a nominal generation capacity of 571MW (Marsa Power Station (MPS) =267MW, Delimara Power Station (DPS) = 304MW), which is reduced due to a number of factors. The nominal available generating capacity during the summer months is 495MW." 41.2MW for Smart City alone would appear very significant!
Astrid Vella
Sep 4th 2008, 22:24
Energy is not the only resource at stake here. What about water recycling provisions? It will be interesting to see what provision for storm-water collection has been made, as well as the recycling of second-class water.
What about stone? Malta only had stone supplies for the next 40 years before the Rationalisation plans. Estimates calculated after the raising of urban height limitations and the Rationalisation plans have brought that down to just over 20 years. What is to be done with the stone excavated from this massive building site, is it going to be re-used?
Let's hope its not going to end up dumped in the Mediterranean, polluting the sea as happened with the other mega-projects, not to mention such a wanton waste of Malta's only resource. This would certainly not be in line with the most basic norms of good governance.
J.Tonna
Sep 4th 2008, 21:44
@ Stephen Serracino Inglott, I put you the first question with a tongue in cheek. However i cannot believe that such an IT company will not do its best to save energy (thus emissions)., it is in it's own interest too, after all.
Stephen Piccinino
Sep 4th 2008, 21:44
Mr Serracino Inglott here rightly said what should be the bone of contention in all the SmartCity talk.
I have, of course, no objection to the project regarding the building and the maintaining of such a large establishment. However, one has to ask himself whether the external cost has been taken into consideration. Is the price paid by the investors inclusive of the cost brought about by the negative externalities and which are to affect us adversely in the future? The private cost of the dumping of waste and the pollution emissions should be brought in line with the social cost which society will incur through the added development.
The irony of the thing is that it's not fair picking on SmartCity when most of all the other projects should have undergone similar scrutiny.
Charles Micallef
Sep 4th 2008, 20:16
We got the answer to most of our concerns, now lets make sure that the promises will not fizz out as things progress
Stephen Serracino Inglott
Sep 4th 2008, 18:24
@J. Tonna
No, I have no affiliation with any suppliers of the items I mentioned. I understand that a company such as this has the financial power to employ consultants in energy use and effeciency, but it does not mean that they will, and if they do, it does not mean that they will follow their sound advice, or merely part of it.
Remember that the first and foremost goal of private enterprises is to register a profit in the least possible time. An environmental conscience may not come into question. More details about the energy effecient measures implemented in the design are what we'd like to hear.
J. Tonna
Sep 4th 2008, 17:49
Stephen, do you sell all these things? A company like this knows for sure what to do.
Stephen Serracino-Inglott
Sep 4th 2008, 17:28
To be truly leading in energy efficient development, Smart City designers should include solar panels, solar water heating, wind turbines, low-energy cooling, super-insulation of roofs against heat gain, architectural features to reduce solar gain, allow for natural night cooling, energy effecient lighting, use of rainwater for flushing and irrigation, ground source cooling and building physics for ventilation.
41.2MW is a very high estimate. The existing powerstations will have a hard time supplying it, while the island will have to absorb the extra pollution from the burning of fossil fuels.
N Borg
Sep 4th 2008, 16:35
What about installing solar panels and making it partly self sufficient??