Wied Rini in the limits of Baħrija, the Ħal Far industrial estate and Is-Sikka l-Bajda, just off the coast at L-Aħrax in Mellieħa are the three sites where wind farms will be considered.
The planning applications for the three sites will be submitted shortly but detailed studies are yet to be conducted to assess their suitability, the Prime Minister announced yesterday.
Sikka l-Bajda is the largest site with a potential to accommodate 19 large turbines generating enough electricity to supply 40,000 households.
The other two sites can cater for another 7,900 households.
In all, the electricity they generate will be equivalent to 9.6 per cent of Malta's electricity demand and the savings in carbon dioxide emissions are equivalent to that produced by 134,000 cars.
The wind farms would be dismantled after 25 years in operation.
Significantly, the selection of two land-based sites is a reversal of the decision taken four years ago not to opt for wind farms on land.
In the pre-budget document published in July 2005, the government had said it was not offering public land for the development of wind farms because of the negative aesthetic impact they might have.
At the time, the government was committed to study the potential of deep-sea wind farms further away from the coast, a prospect that was dumped last year when it became clear the technology was not commercially available.
Resources Minister George Pullicino said yesterday it was not a matter of the government having had a change of heart. "There were developments. Until today the deep-sea technology has not developed at the speed we were expecting four years ago and our country cannot wait to start achieving its targets," he said.
The site at Sikka l-Bajda reaches a depth of 30 metres, which is within the limits permitted by existing technology.
Launching the projects, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said the government was not excluding anything, not even the development of deep offshore wind farms.
"However, we have to keep in mind that the government is bound by the EU target of producing 10 per cent of its energy demand from clean renewable sources by 2020. The country, therefore, does not have the luxury of being able to wait for new technologies without seeking to maximise all alternatives," Dr Gonzi said.
Wind energy would be contributing about 4.8 per cent to the 10 per cent target.
"Today's announcement marks the beginning of a detailed and open planning process where everyone will be invited to express himself," Dr Gonzi said.
He said the three sites had been identified after a number of studies and the government would be submitting to the planning authority project description statements for the proposed sites. He said the government had asked leading consultants to reach their own conclusions on which sites appeared to be best for the location of wind farms.
The offshore wind farm is expected to cost between €280 million and €335 million while the land projects would carry a price tag of between €13 million and €18 million.
The government will not be funding the capital investment for the projects. Instead, it would be issuing tenders for the wind farms to be built by the private sector. The government would then buy back the electricity generated.
Dr Gonzi said Malta would have to pay a heavy price if its target was not achieved. He insisted that the government's ultimate purpose was to boost the generation of clean energy, reduce dependence on oil, cut harmful emissions and, thereby, improve the quality of life of the people.
When asked whether he faced criticism from his backbench on the selected sites, Dr Gonzi said he had a positive discussion with them and "everybody agreed to await the outcome of the studies".
Reacting to the announcement, the Labour Party criticised Dr Gonzi for not publishing the technical studies commissioned throughout the years.
Environment spokesman Leo Brincat said some of the unpublished reports provided a negative assessment of the selected sites.
"The Prime Minister should not only publish all the studies but also the technical reactions including any minority reports that were contrary to the proposed wind farm at Sikka l-Bajda," Mr Brincat said.
He insisted people had the right to know whether the choice of the three sites was based on technical or political criteria.
Alternattiva Demokratika energy spokesman Ralph Cassar welcomed the decision.
"It is clear that no detailed investigations had been conducted till now but the proposed studies are a positive, even if long overdue, development. It looks like the whole process will be public and transparent," Mr Cassar said while calling for the introduction of support schemes for the generation of electricity by individuals.
Factbox: On wind farms
Site: Sikka l-Bajda
Electricity generated: 95MW = 40,000 households
Turbines: 19
Capital cost: €280 - €350m
Site: Wied Rini
Electricity generated: 10.2MW = 5,900 households
Turbines: 12
Capital cost: €13 - €18m
Site: Ħal Far
Electricity generated: 4.25MW = 2,000 households
Turbines: 5
Capital cost: €6 - €8m
ksansone@timesofmalta.com