NGOs call for clean power generation

Four environmental organisations are calling on the government to abide by its pledges and ensure that all future power generation was as clean as possible.

Flimkien għal Ambjent Ahjar, Friends of the Earth Malta, The Gaia Foundation, and the Ramblers’ Association referred to recent statements on the future installation of power turbines at the Delimara Power Station.

They said that without going into the merits of who should be awarded the tender, the decision had to take into account not only the financial cost but also the health of the local population, the state of the environment, Malta’s international commitments on climate change and the relevant EU regulations on carbon and other emissions, as well as possible penalties that would be incurred by the EU for non compliance.

Malta has still to address the “sad and pitiful” saga related to the Marsa Power Station which ran on heavy fuel oil.

It would, therefore, be totally unacceptable that any newly commissioned conventional turbines would once again run on fuels that produced greater toxic emissions.

“While gas would be the preferred cleaner and more efficient option as soon as its use becomes possible, the fuels used until then should certainly not be the more polluting ones.

“Government should give a clear guarantee to the public that this will not be the case,” they said.