Update 4: Mepa grants full development permit for power station extension

With seven votes against one, the Malta Environment and Planning Authority this afternoon granted the full development permit for the Delimara power station extension.

The permit was granted amid uproar and disparaging comments against the board. Labour MP Roderick Galdes was the only Mepa official to vote against the 144MW extension.

The well-attended meeting to consider the full development application for the extension to the Delimara power was tense but calm. It was held at the Phoenicia Ballroom. It included representatives of various local councils, several Labour MPs, environmentalist Edward Mallia and other members of environment groups.

The applicant explained that through this extension, which will include the construction of a power house, an abatement area, a steam turbine building, a fresh water generator Area, a waste management plant and other auxiliary facilities, Malta will be in a better position to meet the increasing energy demands and cater for the shortage of electricity once the Marsa Power Station is shut-down.

After the case officer presented his findings on the issue and recommended approval, Mepa chairman Austin Walker asked the developer if he wanted to make any submissions.

Engineer Karl Camilleri, who was representing Enemalta, requested permission to give two presentations, one on abatement technology.

Mr Walker made it clear that today’s meeting was not considering the operational aspects of the plant because those would be subject to an environmental permit but he granted permission to Enemalta to make its presentations so that the public would have all the information.

At that point, Zejtun mayor Joe Attard pointed out that the permit under discussion today was not only about the construction of the buildings but also about the installation of the equipment.

“No one can convince us that any equipment would be removed once it is installed,” he said to a round of applause.

There was uproar when the chairman insisted that the plant would not be operational unless it had an environmental permit

Marsaxlokk mayor Edric Micallef quoted the report presented by the Development Directorate which said when proposing its yes recommendations that it was acceptable from a development and environmental point of view.

He questioned how the development could be acceptable from an environmental point of view when the decision which had to be taken today was about construction.

Martin Seychell, the head of Mepa’s Environmental Protection Directorate reiterated that the plant would still have to be subject to a rigorous environmental permit.

Mr Camilleri gave his presentation on abatement technology. He was at one point stopped by Mr Seychell who said that most of the presentation was technical and subject to the environmental permit.

Mr Camilleri closed his presentation by saying that the plant that was being considered was tried and tested technology.

Engineer Arthur Ciantar, a consultant to the M’xlokk council, insisted that the combination of diesel engines with air filtering equipment was not a tried and tested plant and no references existed for it in the world.

He reiterated the council’s position that the plant should be run on the much cleaner diesel, rather than heavy fuel oil.

Mr Ciantar said that although the fuel expense would be around 30 per cent higher, it would be less costly to operate.

When questioned, Mr Camilleri confirmed that the plant was more efficient if operated on diesel.

Prof. Mallia noted that Mr Camilleri had referred just to the fuel cost as being 30 per cent more expensive. If this was the case, taking into consideration the expenses that would be saved on waste management nad lower maintenance, the problem would be solved.

Mepa board member Joe Tabone Jiacono expressed his concern at the chimney height which would see the top part of the chimeny practically at street level with Delimara.

This is the second stage of the permit process. An outline development permit was issued in January.

The process now requires an environmental permit.

Mepa said that the vigorous processing of this permit, for this installation, is envisaged to last about12 months, whereby further in-depth studies and extensive public consultations will be carried out.