The nationwide blackout which plunged parts of Malta into darkness for several hours last Tuesday could happen again even after the new gas-fired power station is up and running, Enemalta chairman Frederick Azzopardi told Times of Malta.

“The problem wasn’t power production, it was power distribution. Changing the power station won’t improve the network of distribution throughout the island so probably  yes  this could happen again if a similar situation arises,” Mr Azzopardi said.

The government was yesterday considering different ways of offering compensation to families who were left with no power for more than 12 hours between Tuesday and Wednesday after an explosion at an electrical distribution centre in Marsa caused the Delimara power plant to shut down.

Yes, this could happen again if a similar situation arises

Mr Azzopardi said the explosion, which was caused by a faulty subterranean wire, could also possibly occur again as the state of many stretches of underground wiring was unknown.

“It is not yet clear what happened to the wire, but there are kilometres of it across the island. I mean, normally a wire remains unchanged but some could develop faults over time. It’s still too early to tell what happened,” he said, adding that an Enemalta inquiry into the cause of the fault was expected to be completed late next month.

The Delimara power plant shut down as a safety precaution after the explosion created a kink in the chain of supply. Mr Azzopardi said a modern power station, as well as the previously proposed interconnector, would probably also have tripped after the explosion.

“You have to keep in mind that the Marsa distribution centre is the second largest in Malta  after Mosta  and it is also very close to the Marsa plant, so an explosion there would have significant impact on any system,” he said.

The new gas power station is not the only investment being made to improve energy supply.

Mr Azzopardi said the sector was being bolstered by four new distribution centres, which would conduct energy for large sections of the island.

Enemalta yesterday warned of further power cuts in some areas as it works to provide alternative connections to areas supplied by the Marsa distribution centre.

Areas that were connected to the grid through cables and equipment damaged during Tuesday’s fire at the distribution centre had to be temporarily linked through other connections, it explained.

This was done to provide electricity supply to all areas in the shortest time possible. The provision, however, was only temporary and Enemalta explained this was putting a strain on the undamaged parts of the grid.

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