Air quality concerns should prevail

The installation of a 100MW power generating plant at Delimara should first and foremost take into consideration emissions from the extended plant vis-à-vis Malta's European obligations and also air quality concerns. In fact, the chosen technology, Diesel Engine Combined Cycle (DECC) emits higher carbon dioxide volumes that alternative technologies such as the Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT). In addition, the chosen DECC technology emits higher nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and dust volumes, while generating larger volumes of toxic sludge. The Electricity Generation Plan for 2006-2015 compiled by Enemalta, in fact, recommends CCGT as the best and most efficient solution for the Delimara power plant. No EIA on the feasibility of installing the DECC plant at Delimara was carried out.

While one concedes that Enemalta's decision was taken on the grounds that electricity tariffs had to be as affordable as possible, economic considerations had to be confronted against air quality and public health ones. Hence, within such a context, the call made by four local NGOs in this sense is legitimate and justified. Now that the decision was taken, one augurs that the financial savings will be put to good use, such as for example, for financing the conversion to cleaner gas technology in the future, and that pollution-abatement measures, such as installation of scrubbers and the use of low-sulphur fuel, are adopted scrupulously.