Update 4 - Extensive power cut as Marsa boilers shut down
Power was restored to all localities this afternoon after a widespread power cut, caused when a contactor hit a 33 kv cable in Valley Road.
The feeder tripped boilers seven and eight at Marsa, effectively shutting down the power station and leaving 40 per cent of the island without power.
The localities which suffered a cut included Valletta, Marsascala, Birkirkara, Iklin, Kappara, Qormi, Lija and Floriana.
Other localities such as Sliema reported that lights dimmed at the same time.
A spokesman for Enemalta said a gas turbine was immediately started and power started to be restored 25 minutes later.
Power was restored to all areas by 5.45 p.m.
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107 Comments
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Brian Gatt
Oct 12th 2012, 09:06
Accountability please, we want to see heads rolling for this. When the power came back all of a sudden the surge was to high and it screwed up my UPS (basically from the smell it burnt). Who will pay me?
shall i sue Enemalta, the Govt or......as a friend of mine told me Franco Debono because most probably the Pn activists will blame him for this as well!!!
N. Camilleri
Oct 12th 2012, 08:52
There should be a heavy penalty fee entrenched in the contracts if something like this happens. It would deter the contractors from drilling into the ground without extensive checks.
Tonio Bugeja
Oct 12th 2012, 07:28
Does anybody care for any matter, what such a powercut cost?
lost business, production downtime, goods perish, one cannot immagine what kind of damage this cut causes! 3 phase equipment suddenly looses a phase and equipment costing tens and hundreds of thousands of euros blows up just because some irresponsible nitwit hits a line. This is happening all the time and we are paying dearly
Tonio Bugeja
Oct 12th 2012, 07:21
Contractor responsible!!! or is it? Before trenching works used to be done, one would see a person with a sensor marking the road where the excavation is to take place to check for any underlying cables.
Besides the danger to life and limb as hitting a cable of this magnetude is no joke. There was a story some months ago of a poor guy who was nearly exterminated.
mark borg
Oct 12th 2012, 06:58
Austin jonqsu jkun in charge !
Charles Micallef
Oct 12th 2012, 06:34
This confirms what a sorry state Enemalta is in, I have never known so many power cuts in all my born days! Shame on Malta's number ONE blood sucker!
Etienne Galea
Oct 11th 2012, 23:26
Igifieri bil-gas ma ghandiex bzon cabels?????? Tistaw tispjegawli kif bil-gas il-cable issewwa???? Nahseb illi bil-gas xorta mill-istess cabels jghadi d-dawl!!!!!
Daenerys Targaryen
Oct 11th 2012, 22:44
Just curious, but why, in the picture, is the right chimney nearly all blackened while the left chimney is only blackened at the top?
John Dee
Oct 11th 2012, 21:26
No-one ever use a Cable Avoidance Tool - CAT? It should be mandatory before any excavation wok start, if only to protect the operatives!
B Ellul
Oct 11th 2012, 21:18
What a bunch of idiotic comments! Always the same people complaining and not even reading the actual news beforehand
Judith Bugeja
Oct 11th 2012, 20:34
Parts of Hamrun were also hit.
Peter Murray
Oct 11th 2012, 20:02
When it is known that excavation work is about to be undertaken where there are power cables nearby what risk-asssesment plans are drawn up and implemented -as this cutting through cables by a contractor is a regular occurrence?
Mr Tony Gatt
Oct 11th 2012, 20:36
That's called logic. Too complicated.
Bernard Farrugia
Oct 11th 2012, 20:37
The contractor is obliged to contact all the entities which have underground services such that all utilities are marked with highlighted spray. While all entities such as Enemalta, WSC, Go, Vodaphone etc are also obliged to mark their services when they are requested to do so. However most often the contractor just makes the trench without checking what is under the street level.
Jason Coleiro
Oct 12th 2012, 06:13
Risks assessments? QHSE? JSA`s? where here? no wonder nobody will employ real safety officers and advisers here or most of these contractors would be shut down in a matter of minutes. Safety last is the rule here because it costs money.
E Gauci
Oct 11th 2012, 19:16
so Marsa old plant is supplying 40% of Malta's electricty? up to a while ago this power station was meant to be closed down no??
Anthony Camilleri
Oct 11th 2012, 19:14
Is the contractor being held responsible for damages?
Or is everything ok since we live in Malta?
Michael Bonello
Oct 11th 2012, 19:12
I do not know whether to cry or have a good laugh the way things are going on in Malta , so you mean to say that we are in 2012 and we do not have an electrical and metal detector? This is too funny PBS should have a weekly program on what goes on in Malta week by week by MEPA Enemalta or local contractors wake up !!
Martin Cole
Oct 11th 2012, 22:30
It happens in UK too, my company invested in a large generator because of power cuts which affects the business we are in. A contractor cut into a power line and there was no power in the area (Letchworth garden City) for quite some time.... unlike Malta. Don't knock Malta like it's the fashion, shows people how little they know about what goes on elsewhere. Look what recently happened in India!
B. Storace
Oct 11th 2012, 19:08
Why don't we ever learn from the mistakes of others. Why should the consumer suffer and what about the businesses and on-line companies which operate 24/7. Donate detectors to the contractors then fine them when they don't use them. Learn duhhhhhhhhhh
Anthony A. Mifsud
Oct 11th 2012, 19:04
A spokesman for Enemalta said a gas turbine was immediately started and power started to be restored 25 minutes later!!!!!!
I must have a slow wrist watch, as I was out for two hours in San gwann
Ninu
Joseph Sammut
Oct 12th 2012, 05:24
Started to be restored 25 minutes later does not mean that it was restored in 25 minutes!!!
Victor Pulis
Oct 11th 2012, 19:02
2 questions;
Don't contractors have plans where cables are located?
Who pays when something of this sort happens?
Daenerys Targaryen
Oct 11th 2012, 22:45
You, and whoever works for their hard earned cash.
Kevin Muller
Oct 11th 2012, 19:02
The main problem with all this cable accidents is the fact, that they never were put in place in a professional way from the beginning. Abroad they are layed in concrete covers filled up with sand and a half a meter on top marked with a thick warning tape. If you see how amateurish this works are carried out in Malta, you do not wonder, that things like this happen on a regularly base.
Martin Cole
Oct 11th 2012, 22:36
Contractors cut into power lines in UK too, not all areas are laid out like you have described, another wishful thinking amateurish comment that things are just 'wonderful' abroad, they are not!
j brincat
Oct 11th 2012, 19:01
Should this black smoke belcher have been put to rest as soon as the Delimara (still unpaid) power station was commissioned 1992?
So how would one account for the astronomical public debt now running kin billions of euro?
(jb)
G. Gerada
Oct 11th 2012, 18:52
Shouldn't there be some plans at MEPA from where these major power lines are passing through? It's not like some extension cable connecting your fan or your vacuum cleaner! What about the repeated damages / inconveniences caused to Enemalta customers? (practically everyone and may I say paying a hefty price for Enemalta's service!) Tsk!
Mr Oliver Cini
Oct 11th 2012, 18:52
haha the contractors they show be equipped with metal detectors ranging to at least 3 meters deep. or at least an electric indicator so to know where such cables are........ ignorance is bless here in Malta.
Jay Oatmon
Oct 11th 2012, 18:11
So the reality is no one knows where the underground cables are, or they are too lazy to pass the information on to the contractor working in the area, or the contractor did not bother to find out if there were cables near his work site. So who is accountable - no one I expect.
Peter Murray
Oct 11th 2012, 18:19
Bang on the button sir, as it would appear that no cable or sub-station legends/plans actually exist .
Vince Deguara
Oct 11th 2012, 18:20
Have you actually read the article?
Joseph Vassallo, (Bugibba)
Oct 11th 2012, 18:23
The reality is that if Enemalta's site personnel give the contractor the wrong location, even if only by a few feet, the nearby cable is at risk. One might, in such cases, have to question the competence of Enemalta engineers, draughtsmen and site personnel before apportioning the blame on to the contractor or the contractor's employees. Enemalta is meant to mark locations with paint beforehand
jimi Xerri
Oct 11th 2012, 18:37
When are contractors going to be obliged to use tracking equipment which localises power cables, water and sewage pipes prior and during the works?
The number of these accidents has become uncountable, and the extent of the cost in loss of men hours, damage to equipment, etc. if accounted for will surely run in the millions.
What are we waiting for? Immediate action please!!
mark johnson
Oct 11th 2012, 18:10
Why aren't contractors given the hand-held device that helps to locate power cables underground?
Oliver Grech
Oct 11th 2012, 18:00
Some comments below accusing Gonzi and the government show the real labour and its supporters and their will to gain power. Unless Gonzi wasn't the worker to hit the cable (which i m sure he wasn't) how can he be at fault? Tad- dahk....well tal- biki if labour had to rule in this manner. Open your eyes people.
Peter Shaw
Oct 11th 2012, 17:47
So the contractor is liable for loss of productivity due to the power loss??? ....yeah dream on!!
J Cassar
Oct 11th 2012, 18:46
well said mr shaw
Reuben D. Spiteri
Oct 11th 2012, 21:45
This things annoys me to be honest. How can anyone expect the contractors to be careful with the power lines if when they trip them it's a simple matter of saying "Sorry" and all is forgotten with no regard to the discomfort or loss of revenue for businesses?
Joseph M. Grech.
Oct 11th 2012, 17:47
Don't woooorrrrrry with Joseph in power contractors will automatically avoid power cables, no mistakes will be done (and those committed will be blamed on the PN). In a few words no more cuts as we say in Maltese "kollox jimxi fuq ir-rubini". Utility bills will be drastically reduced etc, etc. After all we are all used to this type of MLP/PL's way of running this country electricity.
Alfred Cassar
Oct 11th 2012, 17:45
some people just type their stupid comments without even reading the article which said that "...a contactor carrying out works for Enemalta in Valley Road, Birkirkara"
So what does GonziPN etc have to do with it, if I may ask?
Silvio Cassar
Oct 11th 2012, 17:43
ghawn minkhom awn qaziztuh,kullma jigri tort tal gvern,nahseb ma qrjtux sew ux li >when a contactor carrying out works for Enemalta in Valley Road, Birkirkara, hit a 33 kv feeder which tripped and caused boilers seven and eight at Marsa to shut down.
issa la jitla,jew jek jitla il labour xha nghamlu?il mirakli?kollox sew?
Andrew Grech
Oct 11th 2012, 19:34
PROSET !!!!
mark borg
Oct 12th 2012, 06:58
bla bla bla ...le la jitla il labour li hu zgur nemmnu li jhekk jonfqu il flus ma jkunx xi kuntratt tal BWSE jew jakkumulaw xi 800.000 ewro dejn ohra fl enemalta....ghax ghalhekk ingergru kontra il gvern li qed tidefendi ghax ghal ispalpaljar li spalparja f 25 sena ..ninsabu 2012 u ghadna qisna pajjiz tat 3 dinja f hafna affarijitet.
Joseph Apap
Oct 11th 2012, 17:41
Why is Enemalta and/or the Government at Fault if a worker hit a 33KV cable?
stephen koludrovic
Oct 11th 2012, 18:12
If the contractor was not given a plan of where the underground cables were situated, then enemalta could possibly be at fault.
Eddy Privitera
Oct 11th 2012, 17:41
May I remind readers of another PN solemn promise. " Whenever you switch on the light, the light comes on "!
And the majority had believed them !
A Camilleri
Oct 11th 2012, 18:07
Yes I do and how. And I was proved right. Sur Privitera dont you remember Electricity going off every every every single Saturday evening fi zmien il benjamin tieghek Duminku Mintoff? And during the week too. My kids used to get scared in the dark.
Ejja irrsipondi . Insejtu dak iz-zmien ghax jien le.
Pat Hobson
Oct 11th 2012, 18:59
A. Camilleri. It seems that you really forgot what was happening in those years! Have you forgotten that during those times, there was an oil crisis going on? Have you forgotten the Middle East conflict that practically closed the Suez Canal? Have you forgotten that to get our oil, the oil tankers had to go round the Cape of Good Hope to bring us the oil? Have you forgotten all this?
Pat Hobson
Oct 11th 2012, 19:00
A. Camilleri. It seems that you really forgot what was happening in those years! Have you forgotten that during those times, there was an oil crisis going on? Have you forgotten the Middle East conflict that practically closed the Suez Canal? Have you forgotten that to get our oil, the oil tankers had to go round the Cape of Good Hope to bring us the oil? Have you forgotten all this?
Mario Tabone
Oct 12th 2012, 00:08
@ Pat Hobson
So you are saying that where it suits you and your Labour Party you blame it on other countries and call it a crisis.
If those days oil tankers had to go the long way round to get here so what , they still got here. But you say there was a problem in the middle east. Well my friend, take your blinkers off and you will see there still is a major problem in the middle east . >>>>>>
Peter Shaw
Oct 11th 2012, 17:41
Bolier number 7 again !!!
Joseph Aquilina
Oct 11th 2012, 17:40
I lost the count of the number of power cuts we had because "contactor carrying out works [...] hit a [...] feeder!! One has to question if these contractors know there work or not!! If they do not know where the cables are then they should pay extra attention and not dig until finding something!!
Charles Vella
Oct 11th 2012, 17:32
Those saying the PN has been in government for 25 years are VERY wrong! The PN lost the 1996 election, and Labour was then in government... The application for EU membership was frozen by Labour PM Alfred Sant. If he had continued with our application for EU membership Malta would have joined in the year 2000. And EU funds which we are enjoying today would have arrived in 2002 NOT 2008.
Charles Vella
Oct 11th 2012, 17:45
...and for those who forgot simple math, saying that PN has been in government for 25 years, the PN has been in government since 1998 up till today, 2012... so in simple math that is a total of 14 years, and NOT 25 years.
ALBERT FENECH
Oct 11th 2012, 19:20
... and for how many years since 1987?
ALBERT FENECH
Reuben D. Spiteri
Oct 11th 2012, 17:29
To be fair it's the contractor's fault, not the government's. Shouldn't they be fined for when they trip a cable??
Lawrence Fenech
Oct 11th 2012, 17:27
Rega ceda it-tarmac.
Thomas Vella
Oct 11th 2012, 17:18
The 2 most common things on this island are Power Cuts & High Increase in Fuel Prices !!
GonziPN The Best
/endofsarcasm
A Dimech
Oct 11th 2012, 17:14
Thank you Gonzi PN!
J Busuttil
Oct 11th 2012, 17:36
@ A.Dimech
I agree with you and will add on a big thank you for our good economy. By the way Spain were today downgraded.
Paul Bajada
Oct 11th 2012, 17:13
Beware Foreign investors! Your return of investment is engraved on the walls of Delimara. I am not surprised that Smart City was, is and will remain a Ghost city infested with rats. How can one expect investment on our island if we cannot even afford one day of reliable power supply in a week!
ALBERT FENECH
Oct 11th 2012, 17:10
Again! In Qawra, the lights dipped, my computer blinked and I hate to think of the effect on other household electrical appliances. Still - why worry? Power cuts in this country have become as regular as the country's daily Summer forecast - sunshine, sunshine and more sunshine. The Enemalta forecast is powercuts, powercuts and more powercuts.
ALBERT FENECH
Clayton Luke Mula
Oct 11th 2012, 17:08
San Ġiljan id-dawl reġa ġie.
Eddy Privitera
Oct 11th 2012, 17:42
Clayton: Hallelujah !
H. J. Grech
Oct 11th 2012, 17:07
Gas, Cable with with Sicily, wind turbines (if possible) ... when?
Joseph Aquilina
Oct 11th 2012, 17:40
It will be all useless ... you will fins a contractor which for some reason or another decided that today is the day he wants to put Malta in the dark!!
Mr Tony Gatt
Oct 11th 2012, 17:51
You'll still get contractors cutting cables.
Paul Bajada
Oct 11th 2012, 17:05
A government with no solutions! 3 to 4 power cuts a week all year round! Is this what GonziPN is promising us for the future? more of the same present and past?
For what do we pay utility bills and meter rents? this is 2012 and not 1932!
K Psaila
Oct 11th 2012, 17:04
Power was restored after only some minutes. Well Done to all the technical personnel .
Mr raynond ciancio
Oct 11th 2012, 17:43
lucky you.
Clive Cusens
Oct 11th 2012, 17:02
anyone remember the Facebook profile of Boiler Nru.7? :)))
T Gatt
Oct 11th 2012, 16:55
Power restored in Attard.
Claudio Cilia
Oct 11th 2012, 16:47
Embrace yourselves .. Let the ranting against Gonzi begin... (as he went to cut of the lights himself) When will people stop politicising everyyyyyything -.-
Ivan Falzon
Oct 11th 2012, 17:05
the people will stop politicising everything when the PN stops reminding us of what happened 40 or 50 years ago
Robert Agius
Oct 11th 2012, 17:07
Well, he is the leader of the party who runs the country. Whom should we blame, the bearded man the in clouds? Indeed politicising is far too common in Malta, but when you have a government in power who spend millions in a power-station but still depends on the one in Marsa (25 years in power, let's not forget that), people have every right and reason to 'rant'.
C. Bartoli
Oct 11th 2012, 16:42
and the million dollar question is what is dear joseph going to do about this if he is in power?
J Cassar
Oct 11th 2012, 16:47
probably invest your and my taxes in a better way, hopefully maintenance.
Mr dennis azzopardi
Oct 11th 2012, 16:48
minflok tistaqsi din il mistoqsija lil min ghamel il froga ta l-energija hawn malta ,trid tkun taf xser jghamel joseph!..... ahna ahna jew mahniex!
M. Spiteri
Oct 11th 2012, 16:48
so you are happy at the moment C. Bartoli? Instead of addressing current problems you are more interested in questioning Joseph? What a poor mentality!
J Farrugia
Oct 11th 2012, 16:50
what has dear Gonzi,fenech adami done in 25years? BUGGER ALL , unless anyone can read the future we don't know what dear joseph is gonna do.
At least he wont have useless ministers by his side
Francis Saliba M.D.
Oct 11th 2012, 16:50
Widespread power cuts but without without prompt restoration of electricity could very well be the MLP's clever clever undisclosed secret plan how to reduce our ARMS bills without compensatory increases of revenue from other sources.
Mr C Camilleri
Oct 11th 2012, 16:52
And the 2 million dollar question is ... why are you asking such a stupid question when Dr Gonzi and his staff are still in power ? Go and ask if Dr Gonzi has solutions and not throw it on Dr Muscat when he has nothing to do with it. When he is in power, if he goes into power, then ASK HIM !
Unbelievable stupid comment !
Chris Ciantar
Oct 11th 2012, 16:57
Ohlom J. Cassar. OHLOM
Alfred Vassallo
Oct 11th 2012, 17:05
Defintely by NOT doing what your DEAR Gonzi is wronfully doing!!
C. Bartoli
Oct 11th 2012, 17:12
it is not a stupid question because so far he has not come with a policy to improve this problem in Malta. Hlief Sargas, li kulhadd dahaq bih min barra John Dalli ghax il-kuntratt jirbhu hu.
Robert Agius
Oct 11th 2012, 17:15
Well, better questions than fact C. Bartoli. PN is doing NOTHING 'bout it. And has done nothing much about it for about 25 years. Happy?
C. Bartoli
Oct 11th 2012, 17:35
@Robert Agius. and what about the new power station? for which mintoff has stolen 1 million euro from our taxes. I am talking about the future mela fejn jaqblilkom ma tarawx il-passat. la is-sitwazzjoni bhalissa hija hazina( u nahseb kull min qed jeqred ma jiftakarx x kien jigri qabel in-1987) x se jghamel joseph biex itejjeb is-sitwazzjoni?
Robert Agius
Oct 11th 2012, 18:13
hmm.....what about the shady extension deal, the other millions that disappear elsewhere, or are simply wasted, 14% of power consumption unaccounted for, want me to go on?
Adriano Spiteri
Oct 11th 2012, 16:42
"this is a third world country in all but name" -the man with the stick
He was Right
He is Right
Keith Goodlip
Oct 11th 2012, 16:42
Msida too
J Cassar
Oct 11th 2012, 16:35
l'aqwa li nfaqna l belli liri fl smart meters, ahjar gew investiti f' maintenance ax xorta bil meter reader ihabbat il bieb fs 7.00am bqajna
Mr dennis azzopardi
Oct 11th 2012, 16:51
smart meters =commissions. hu pacenzja u ibqa qum kmieni iftah lil meter reader .
Alfred Bugeja
Oct 11th 2012, 16:53
Il-Gvern mhux fl-ismart meters biss investa, iżda f'estensjoni ta' power station ġdida li tibda tiġġenera l-elettriku fi żmien ħmistax oħra. Ħassra li l-Oppożizzjoni għamlet minn kollox biex twaqqaf il-bini tagħha.
I. Fenech
Oct 11th 2012, 17:11
To Alfred Bugeja
"f'estensjoni ta' power station ġdida li tibda tiġġenera l-elettriku fi żmien ħmistax oħra"
Our lovely goverment (Which I don t care if it's PN or PL) chose the most inefficient power station on the market.
It seems you don t live in the South. So you don t care!
R. Cilia
Oct 11th 2012, 17:12
Ghall-power station li tahdem bil-HFO qed tirreferi Sur Bugeja u li wara daz-zmien kollu trid tigi maqluba ghall-gas qed tirreferi jew ghall-ohra li kellha tinghalaq f'Mejju 2011 u qed niehdu l-multi fuqha?LOL
Daniel Dimech
Oct 11th 2012, 19:20
Mr. Cilia mhux LOL imma cry ghax vera
Carmel Zammit
Oct 11th 2012, 16:35
Thanks to this diligent government not even the basic of basic utilities i.e. electricity supply is sustainable. What happened to the millions invested in the new power generation extension at Delimara? What excuse is the minister fudging for our consumption?
Mr B Busuttil
Oct 11th 2012, 16:34
x disgrace ta pajjiz...
Paul Bajada
Oct 11th 2012, 16:33
GonziPN inzlu minn hemm ghax dan il pajjiz kissirtuh. Ma fadalx izjed li taghmlu hlief li tiddikkjaraw lil Malta falluta.....
Daniel Soler
Oct 11th 2012, 16:37
Do you ever listen to yourself?
J Busuttil
Oct 11th 2012, 16:38
Idiots never listen to themselves
Marco Galea
Oct 11th 2012, 16:54
jahsara :/
Chris Ciantar
Oct 11th 2012, 16:56
Amen...
Marco Galea
Oct 11th 2012, 18:05
Power has been restored to all which suffered a cut today when a contactor carrying out works for Enemalta in Valley Road, Msida, hit a 33 kv feeder at around 4.20 p.m.
Proset Paul, well done!
K Mifsud
Oct 11th 2012, 16:32
Mater Dei as well...
Stephen Scerri
Oct 11th 2012, 17:03
Nisthajjael li ergajna lura ghal zmien il borom meta ma kienx hemm ilma fil vit.. Pero din id darba bla dawl.
Kif qadd jista jithajjar jigi xi hadd jinvesti fdan il pajjiz jekk jaf il id-dawl jinqata daqsekk ta spiss u bir riskju ta hsarat minhabba infrastruttura tad dawl li qadd ma inbidlet fi 30 sena?
Please choose the reason of your report below: