Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi had said the documents would be made available to whoever asks for them. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

The Government is refusing to publish documents related to the competitive process launched last week for the building of a new gas-fired power station and the provision of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to the island.

Despite a promise made by Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi last Thursday that all the documents would be made available to the media, a request by The Times for a copy of the Expression of Interest and Capability has been turned down.

A spokesman for the ministry said the documents published by Enemalta are confidential as they include commercially sensitive data.

“We cannot publish such documents at this stage as we will reveal important data that can be used by bidders,” the spokesman said.

However, this position contradicts what Mr Mizzi had said during the launch of the process – he had told the press that the documents would be made available to whoever asks for them, including the media.

Publication at this stage will reveal important data that can be used by bidders

To emphasise his point, he underlined that the documents would not be tied to a fee, which is usually put in place to restrict the dissemination of this type of document.

The process to sign a long-term power purchase and gas supply agreement has been fast tracked. It will not follow strict EU procurement rules and the normal Contracts Department tendering procedures. The call for expressions of interest obliges the successful bidder to build – in fewer than two years – a 200 MW gas-fired power plant and the infrastructure for a gas storage and re-gasification facility.

Contrary to what the Labour Party had proposed before the election, the Government is no longer insisting on building two tanks next to the Delimara power plant for the storage and re-gasification of gas.

Instead, it is now leaving the choice of the gas provision method up to the successful bidder.

Preliminary information published by Enemalta specifies that an offshore gas storage system is also to be considered while Mr Mizzi did not rule out the installation of an LNG pipeline, similar to the one proposed by the previous Nationalist administration.

According to Enemalta’s pre-expression of interest information, “consideration will be given to bidders that present alternative solutions in which at least a part of the LNG facilities is installed on a floating platform to be moored close to the Delimara Power station”.

The Government estimates that a storage capacity of 60,000m3 of LNG will be required to service both the existing 150MW BWSC plant and the newly constructed power station. At the same time some parts of the Delimara power station will continue to be fired by oil.

The Government said: “Phase two of the Delimara power station will remain oil-fired together with some smaller oil-fired open circuit gas turbines, and will be retained as back-up for the immediate future.”

To fast track its project, the Government is also considering bypassing the Mepa permit process and issuing the permits by Cabinet decision, which the law allows.

Mr Mizzi said the Government has not yet decided on how to proceed with the permits issue.