Power demand drops by 9% - new facilities to convert animal waste to energy
The consumption of energy dropped by 9% in Malta in the past two years, with up to 87% of the population estimated to have reduced its consumption, Resources Minister George Pullicino said today.
He told a conference organised by the Chamber of Engineers that the people's mentality on the use of electrical power was changing, mostly as a result of the increases in the power tariffs.
The conference, which opened this morning, is discussing the various methods of alternative energy.
Mr Pullicino said government investment in energy systems currently totalled €1.2 billion, including the power station extension in Delimara, the undersea link to the European grid and improvements made to the Marsa power station to reduce harmful emissions.
The government, he said, was also investing in the installation of Smart Meters - a programme which should be completed by the end of 2013, and it was giving subsidies in order to encourage people to install solar water heaters and photovoltaic units in their homes and businesses. In the past five years, 5,000 photovoltaic systems and 13,000 solar water heaters were installed, he said.
Mr Pullicino said wind studies had confirmed that Sikka l-Bajda, off Mellieha, was a suitable site for a wind farm.
He said studies were in hand on converting animal waste into energy. Two facilities would be set up for the purpose, in the North and the South of Malta. They are expected to generate enough electrical power to meet the needs of 30,000 households every year.
He pointed out that by 2010, Malta is bound by international treaties to generate 10% of its total power consumption from alternative renewable sources.
It was estimated, he said, that energy from the wind, the sun and from waste could each produce between 3% and 4% of alternative energy.
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Mr Marco Cremona
May 19th 2011, 23:56
Am glad my lobbying for biogas technology for producing waste (as an alternative to incineration) since 2001 is finally paying dividends;
- 1,500 houses to be powered by the biogas facility at the Sant Antnin plant (running on solid waste)
- a similar installation to be built at Ghallis
- a similar but smaller installation for the solid waste in Gozo
- a biogas facility at the Ta' Barkat sewage treatment plant to produce the equivalent of 2,500 households from sewage sludge and
- now 30,000 household-equivalent of electricity to be generated from animal waste (though I think this figure is on the high side i.e. inflated)
The Strategy
http://www.mrra.gov.mt/files/uploaded/files/agri_waste_mgmt_plan.pdf
Robert Williams
May 19th 2011, 23:20
WIRELESS SMART METERS - 100 TIMES MORE RADIATION THAN CELL PHONES.
Video Interview: Nuclear Scientist, Daniel Hirsch, (5 minutes: 38 seconds).
http://stopsmartmeters.org/2011/04/20/daniel-hirsch-on-ccsts-fuzzy-math/
WIRELESS SMART METERS - CANCER, NERVOUS SYSTEM DAMAGE, ADVERSE REPRODUCTION AFFECTS.
Video Interview: Dr. Carpenter, New York Public Health Department, Dean of Public Health, (2 minutes: 23 seconds).
http://emfsafetynetwork.org/?p=3946
Ms pat muscat
May 19th 2011, 15:58
I can.t understand why the Gov is projecting to use hundreds of photo voltaic panels on State's office roofs rather than subsidising the ordinary taxpayer to buy his own panels. Everyone knows that the private citizen takes good care of his own property, whilst accountability for State's property is a joke and no one is responsible; no one has ever resigned!
Mr C Cassar
May 20th 2011, 07:47
Why do you need to have a subsidy for everything? It simply shows that you only care about your pocket and not the environment.
Esme Delmote
May 19th 2011, 15:18
Its a shame Mr Pullicino didn`t keep his promises with the photovoltic scheme.
We have a 7 panel unit on our roof, still waiting for our grant to be rebated (3000 euro) and still no outcome or solution how they gone pay out our units produced ( 0,28 euro per unit) , that`s not much of an insentive for people to buy more photovoltaic systems.
David Elden
May 19th 2011, 22:28
Well said Mr C.Cassar keep up your positive remarks.
Mr C Cassar
May 19th 2011, 14:04
As usual, when forward thinking use of technology is mentioned in Malta, the locals slate it because they are stuck in the past and don't understand anything new. It's great that animal waste, wind and other forms of sustainable energy are being planned and implemented.
The next step should be to reduce the numbers of cars on the road. The only way to do this is to raise the cost of fuel significantly, something around €2.50 per litre by the end of 2012 and further linear rises after that.
There needs to be a sea change in the Maltese outlook on how they waste fuel. On such a small island, car journeys should be the exception not the rule, particularly with the first phase of the new public transport systemn coming in July.
More pedestrianisation such as in Valletta and Bisazza Street in Sliema can only benefit the environment everyone lives in together with the removal of many more parking spaces/places which simply encourage the clooging up and polluting in mant streets.
Mr J Xerri
May 19th 2011, 13:20
"The consumption of energy dropped by 9% in Malta in the past two years". Is this a positive achievment when as the Minister himself admits this is due " mostly as a result of the increases in the power tariffs.", which of course resulted in people make less use of water and electricty to the detriment of their standard of living?
Christian Psaila
May 19th 2011, 15:46
Are you implying that people are washing themselves less, or going to sleep at 8pm?
Don't be ridiculous. Yes, the fact is higher bills forced everyone to be more energy efficient by wasting less electricity, installing solar water heaters, replacing inefficient light bulbs and using more efficient appliances. I employ all these methods and I just received my utilities bill at a mere €37 a month. If €37 is expensive for you, maybe you need to realise that you're living in 2011 not 1950.
Simon Scerri
May 19th 2011, 12:21
So the government's grand damage-control scheme worked just fine! The number of embarassing country power blackouts will have been reduced, saving face for another while until the link to the european grid materialises. I hope no one still thinks that this was all about green policies...
Mr Michael Debono
May 19th 2011, 12:09
Hon Minister please explain what you mean by smart-meters. Minster A. Gatt had already mentioned this item and nobody seems to know what it means once we are still getting an estimate of consumption of water and electricity, while the smart meters oughto register the consumption daily at the quarters of the W & E ARMS with no need for meter readers. Is that the usual bluff? It appears so. Once caught twice shy.
David Elden
May 19th 2011, 22:31
Sop much that electricity and water charges would be non existent !!!!!
Ms Maria Vella
May 19th 2011, 11:46
Converting animal waste to energy would be a good idea, perhaps they should look into using bullshit as well. There is sure a lot of it around!
Ms Maria Vella
May 19th 2011, 11:45
Would bullshit help? there is sure a lot of it around!