‘Better off investing in a Scottish wind farm’
A wind farm in Scotland. Photo: AFP
Wind farms in Malta may not be feasible and it pays to buy electricity from Scotland where wind speeds prevail, according to an engineer.
Robert Ghirlando, who heads the Institute for Sustainable Energy at the University, yesterday quoted the conclusion of a student thesis to close off a brief presentation he gave at a seminar on wind energy.
“If we are going to invest in wind, we might as well invest in Scotland,” he said.
The study conducted by a former student was an economic analysis of wind farms and it showed that wind speeds in Scotland were much higher than in Malta, making wind turbines more feasible.
Prof. Ghirlando, a former chairman of energy company Enemalta Corporation, passed the remark in the context of an academic exercise his institute was doing to study a hypothetical offshore wind farm at Hurd’s Bank, off the Xgħajra coast.
He was comparing the site with that of a Scottish deep-sea wind farm.
Prof. Ghirlando said wind turbine technology was adequate for sea depths of up to 40 metres, and this was problematic for Malta, which was surrounded by deep sea. Building wind farms in deep sea increases the cost and, with a 25-year lifespan, having adequate wind speeds is crucial for economic feasibility.
“There isn’t much where you could put wind turbines, and this is why Is-Sikka l-Bajda presented itself as a good candidate on this basis alone,” he said.
Is-Sikka l-Bajda is a relatively shallow reef three to five kilometres off the Mellieħa coast where the Government wants to build a wind farm.
The project is the single most important cog in the Government’s plan to reach the EU target of having 10 per cent of the country’s energy needs by 2020 derived from alternative sources.
The Mellieħa offshore wind farm will generate 95MW of electricity but some, including the Opposition, have cast doubt on the viability of the project and the overall plan to rely on wind energy to reach EU targets.
The Government has insisted that the project is on track and the ongoing studies are part of the process, while wind is only one of other alternative sources being considered to reach the target.
The seminar was organised by the Malta Intelligent Energy Management Agency.
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Peder Lindberg
Nov 25th 2012, 19:42
part 8
The turbine must be what we call sites with low wind turbine. So way to do it really must build a sites with low wind turbine with solar energy systems, solar is it in Malta.
This would mean that in Malta will have control over own energy and one should be aware that these energi system can be optimized.
One must think in the long term. The economic benefits arise.
Peder Lindberg
Nov 25th 2012, 19:37
part 7
So I suggest to building a wind turbine in the field, which can provide experience and data. The turbine must be what we call sites with low wind turbine. So way to do it really must build a sites with low wind turbine with solar energy systems, solar is it in Malta.
Peder Lindberg
Nov 25th 2012, 19:36
part 6
It is important to understand is that wind turbines are a dynamic design.
So high wind does has effect on life time of wind turbine.
So if you look positively if Malta low winds, then Malta have a lower risk. Own experience.
I see the following option; Malta identifies an area which can be energy field.
Peder Lindberg
Nov 25th 2012, 19:35
part 4
Article Comments in the newspaper the times about wind turbine.
It is true that there are high winds in Scotland, but there are also risks of it.
Service and maintenance of wind turbines is a cost.
And high wind also gives the high service and maintenance costs.
So if Malta has a midelvind 3-5ms which correspond to the south of Italy.
Peder Lindberg
Nov 25th 2012, 19:32
part 3
Article Comments in the newspaper the times about wind turbine.
If Malta is positive.
It will give Malta jobs in the long term.
As mentioned in the article, it was easier to buy it in Scotland.
As I see it, there is a certain risk in it.
We do not know the future in Scotland rules may change.
It is true that there are high winds in Scotland, but there are also risks of it.
Christian Sciberras
Nov 24th 2012, 22:50
(continued)
- The research approach (especially the one conducted in theses) is quite fragmented, we need this research to be grouped up and presented in a form where one can easily navigate through. I'm not expecting this system, to exist overnight, so please can you carry forward this concept (in the hope that someone eventually makes it happen)?
Finally, thanks for your time reading this.
Christian Sciberras
Nov 24th 2012, 22:41
Prof Ghirlando, I have a few questions which I hope you could answer:
- What research is being conducted in Malta about feasibility of eco-friendly energy systems?
- As I take it, half of the cost issues in deep-sea wind farms is the depth, did you consider the economics of a sea-farm + oil-rig duo? I'm not hinting at anything, but I suppose this might make economic sense.
(continued)
Robert Ghirlando
Nov 24th 2012, 18:57
I would like to clarify that the comment regarding investing in wind energy in Scotland was made primarily to stimulate discussion at the meeting and must in no way be interpreted to mean that we should not continue to explore local possibilities of generating energy from wind.
Robert Ghirlando
Nov 24th 2012, 18:48
I wish to point out that I never said that wind farms may not be feasible in Malta. All I said was that one of my students had carried out a thesis which showed that it was more feasible to invest in Scotland than in Malta, because the winds there are stronger.
Alfred J. McEwen
Nov 24th 2012, 11:58
The maintenance cost of the turbines is horrendously expensive and all this ``to reach EU targets`` especially when the EU has given us peanuts to run this country over the next seven years.
No real need really as we have a lot of bags of wind in the form of our nationalist politicians to keep us going for ages the snag is the`re not doing much for our economy...
Alex Ellul
Nov 24th 2012, 10:25
Wind energy, or to be exact, the subsidies required to manufacture, install and keep them running adds an annual cost of around £300 to each household. This is a statistic for the UK.
Wind energy is very expensive. Unsubsidised it costs around £0.40 per kWh (unit) when in malta we buy it for 16cents (£0.14)
Please choose the reason of your report below: