Enemalta says study confirms power station air quality standards

Enemalta said today that an  independent Air Dispersion Study, commissioned by MEPA and carried by Environmental Software & Services GmbH of Austria and Ecoserv Ltd in Malta had confirmed that the Delimara Power Station, with or without expansion, conformed with all air quality standards defined by EU Directive 50/2008/EC.

In a reaction to comments by the Labour Party yesterday, the corporation also said that the power station extension is being developed on the basis of the Full Development Permit  that MEPA has granted in 2009. The permit allows for the construction of the plant. The (still-to-be-issued) IPPC permit is the permit which allows plant operation and not the one determining the presence or not of the chimney.

The corporation said the airborne dispersion model which was conducted under the auspices of the Environmental Impact Assessment for the Full Development Permit, showed that the recommended height of the chimneys, when the plant is operated at design conditions, should be 50 meters above Delimara Power Station ground level.

"The new independent Air Dispersion Study report, thus confirms that the Delimara Power Station, with the proposed chimney stacks at 65 m height, will meet the annual air quality standards.

"The study also confirms that no additional benefits are obtained by increasing the chimney height or other changes to the extension of the Delimara Power Station. In fact the study confirms that an increase in the height may result in an increased negative impact by displacing emissions," the corporation said.

(PL speakers argued yesterday that the top of the chimneys is close to the level of the Delimara plateau)

Enemalta pointed out that for the purpose of the study, which can be accessed on http://www.mepa.org.mt/lpgdocuments/DPS%20Model%20-%20Final%20report%2023-08-11.pdf,  the extension scenario assumed the worst case situation in which bag filters are not operational.

"Considering the abatement measures that will be in place once the Delimara Power Station is fully operational, the already compliant situation can only be improved upon," it said.

This study analysed the dispersion of   NO2, PM10, PM2.5, Metals and Benzo-a-pyrene from the Delimara Power Station.It took into account emissions from other local sources.

The study analysed the quality air within 15 km, and air quality observations were made available by MEPA for the monitoring stations at Zejtun and Corradino and a background station outside the domain in Gharb, Gozo. Additional air quality observations were conducted at the two stations associated with the traffic observations in Marsaxlokk and Birzebbugia.

"The report confirms that the new extension will actually be less polluting than other sites on the island. The report reaffirms the fact that the worst pollutant remains the Marsa Power Station and that with its reduction in output and eventual closure following the commissioning of the new plant, the levels of pollution in the area will decrease," Enemalta said.

It reiterated that it is committed to the urgent completion of the  power station extension and the Interconnector to Sicily in order to be able to decommission the Marsa Power Station as early as possible.