Enemalta has finally taken over the Delimara Power Station extension and will today shut down the most polluting boilers at the Marsa Power Station.

In a statement yesterday, the corporation said performance tests showed that the plant was more efficient than originally specified. It was producing an extra 1MW of electricity from the exhaust heat recovery and steam turbine, producing a total of 150MW of electricity, 4MW of which are used within the plant itself.

“The tests also confirmed that the abatement system has been producing results which go further that the ones guaranteed in the contract,” the corporation added. Enemalta yesterday started some of the engines to meet the evening’s peak demand and as of today, the corporation will also be able to shut down the oldest, least efficient and most polluting boilers at Marsa Power Station.

On Thursday, performance tests on the extension had to be interrupted when a motor-pump tripped, causing the steam turbine to trip after the its automatic protection mechanism kicked in.

The steam turbine has been at the centre of controversy after it developed a fault and had to be sent abroad for repair. As a result, the takeover of the multimillion euro extension by Enemalta, originally due to take place in October, had been delayed.

Labour MP Joe Mizzi had submitted photos of the damage in Parliament in October. In a scathing speech, Mr Mizzi had said the turbine had been damaged during trial runs, while the emissions control mechanism was also leaking. The company had denied there were sulphur emissions from the plant resulting in a health hazard to the personnel on site.

On Thursday, Enemalta said it would take over the extension when the corporation, together with the third party independent consultants, are satisfied with the performance tests.

Just a day later, it issued another statement, saying that following the successful completion of the performance tests, carried out under the supervision of both Enemalta and the external consultants DNV KEMA, the corporation took over the extension. The plant is covered by a 12-month “defect liability period”.