Mepa said today that the IPPC permit for the operation of the Delimara power station using heavy fuel oil needs to be extended by six months to enable independent monitors to carry out their work. It has therefore issued a public consultation document.
In a statement, the Authority explained that it had approved the IPPC permit on December 5, authorising the operation of the Delimara Power Station Extension (DPSE) using heavy fuel oil (HFO).
The permit conditions required Enemalta to carry out ambient air monitoring, and stipulated that this data was to be assessed by an independent air quality consultant appointed by a Monitoring Committee set up for this purpose. The committee was chaired by Mepa and included a representative of the four local councils (Marsaxlokk, Birzebbuga, Zejtun and Ghaxaq) and a representative of EneMalta.
It had been proposed that ambient air monitoring data would be analysed before the decided whether HFO could continue to be used, or whether the operation of the power station would be restricted to the use of gasoil. The IPPC permit required this decision to be taken by the Authority by no later than September 2012.
The Air Quality Management Resource Centre at the University of the West of England, Bristol was selected as the independent air quality consultant by the Monitoring Committee.
"The consultants have informed the Monitoring Committee that they require at least six months' monitoring data with DPSE in full operation. Due to the extent of the data required, and the time frames for ambient air monitoring and the commissioning of the Delimara Power Station Extension, the independent consultants will not be in a position to prepare their report in time for the September 2012 timeframe to be met," Mepa said.
"It is therefore being recommended, in agreement with the Monitoring Committee, that the relevant condition in the IPPC permit should be revised to extend the timeframe from September 2012 to no later than June 2013," Mepa said.
The public consultation document is available on the Mepa website at www.mepa.org.mt/public-consultation and comments will be received until 18 June 2012.