Malta cannot renegotiate energy targets - Commission

Malta has to get its act together or risk missing its 2020 renewable energy targets, as Brussels warns no further negotiations will be permitted.

The island will not be given another chance to move the goalposts, the European Commission cautioned, while indicating Malta was unlikely to deliver on its renewable energy promises.

The Commission made it clear Malta would have to stick to the commitment made last year that it would be able to produce 10 per cent of all its energy needs from renewable sources by 2020.

This warning comes weeks after the Resources Minister and the Prime Minister said if the wind farm on Sikka l-Bajda failed, Malta would have to renegotiate its 2020 targets "due to the size and specific circumstances of Malta, including deep water depths".

However, a commission spokes-man quashed this option and told The Sunday Times Malta would not be given another opportunity to renegotiate its commitments - it had to find a way to honour its obligations or face legal action.

"The commission does not expect this 10 per cent target for 2020 to be subject to discussion or negotiation. The targets were only set late last year when member states agreed to the new directive. Changing the target would require amending the directive and getting the approval of member states and (European) Parliament."

As part of the EU's efforts to curb climate change, member states last year agreed they should be in a position to produce 20 per cent of all energy needs from renewable sources by 2020.

Individual member states were then given different targets based on their renewable energy capacity already in place. As Malta is the only member state with no form of renewable energy production, it was given the lowest target among the 27 countries and is only obliged to reach half the EU's global target.

The 2020 target is the second Malta negotiated since originally it had settled on renewable energy targets for 2010.

Before joining the EU in 2004, Malta had promised that by 2010 it would be in a position to produce five per cent of all its electricity needs and 1.25 per cent of all the fuel used in transport from renewable sources.

However, just a year before the end of its first deadline, Malta remained far from achieving these targets and the Commission was already aware it would not be able to honour its commitments.

"In April, the commission's progress report on the electricity and transport renewable energy targets for 2010 noted that Malta was still at zero per cent renewable electricity and unlikely to reach its five per cent target by 2010," the Commission spokesman said.

According to Brussels, the Commission has written to the Maltese authorities over the issue "and it seems clear the 2010 electricity target will not be met". At the same time, the Commission was aware the government was concentrating on reaching the 2020 targets, but insisted this time Malta would have to stick to its commitment.

Malta appeared to be focusing on boosting consumption of renewable energy in all sectors, in heating as well as electricity and transport, and focusing on building up its capacity to meet its 2020 target, he said.

These efforts will be formalised when Malta publishes its National Renewable Energy Action Plan. This document, required by June according to the directive on renewable energy, should give a detailed explanation on how Malta plans to achieve its 10 per cent 2020 target.

Once all the national action plans are submitted they will be evaluated and published by the Commission, the spokesman added.

The main pillar of Malta's renewable energy plans is a €300 million wind farm project based on Sikka l-Bajda, off l-Aħrax tal-Mellieħa coast. According to the plans in hand, 18 to 20 turbines will be installed in shallow waters. The government is also planning to install two other onshore wind farms of a smaller scale at Baħrija and Ħal Far. According to the government, these three wind farms will produce 4.8 per cent of energy needs.

Other projects in the pipeline include and electricity interconnection cable with Sicily so that Malta can import energy, the use of photovoltaic and solar panelling on public buildings and the production of energy from waste.

From next year, Malta will have to submit updated reports to Brussels on the progress being made.