The government has officially ditched plans to build three wind farms by the end of the decade and is instead shifting its renewable energy efforts into solar energy.

The permanent secretary at the Energy Ministry, Ronald Mizzi, made the announcement in the context of Mepa’s publication of a new draft policy, which will pave the way for the construction of 2.7 square kilometres of solar farms on the island.

Malta is obliged under the EU’s renewable energy directive to start producing 10 per cent of all its energy needs from renewable energy by 2020.

In a plan submitted to Brussels by the previous administration in 2010, three wind farms – two on shore and one off, with a total capacity of 110MW – were the main projects earmarked for Malta to reach its targets.

Studies have been going on since 2009, costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of euros.

However, the new administration has now decided to scrap these plans and instead will be shifting its policy to large solar energy farms.

“All the studies carried out in the previous years on wind energy projects and which are still ongoing are indicating they are not feasible and possible in Malta. The results are negative,” Mr Mizzi revealed.

Pressed by Times of Malta on whether this means that the projects have been officially scrapped, Mr Mizzi said this was the case.

Last July, the planning authority indicated a change in policy, saying it had advised the government that an offshore wind farm – the largest of the three proposed – would have multiple significant impacts on the environment which cannot be mitigated.

The government is insisting that with massive solar farms in place, the targets are still reachable.

The biggest potential for such projects in Malta lies in disused quarries

“The targets are ambitious but we believe we can still reach them through solar energy,” Mr Mizzi said.

Clearing the way for massive tracts of land to become solar energy hubs, Mepa yesterday issued for consultation a draft policy on where and how the solar farms are to be placed.

Declaring that no solar farms will be permitted on virgin land or farmland, the policy emphasises the potential of already developed areas such as quarries, roof space, open car parks and industrial land.

Mepa has already received 72 submissions expressing interest in solar farm projects.

However, the proposals would cover an area of some 0.7 square kilometres – a far cry from the 2.7 square kilometres Malta needs by 2020 to reach its EU targets.

According to Mepa, the biggest potential for such projects in Malta lies in disused quarries, which can be turned into natural solar energy electricity turbines. Open countryside, Natura 2000 sites, fertile and tilled arable land, sloping sites, garrigue, valleys and forested areas have been declared no-go areas.

The same applies for areas of archaeological or cultural interest and ridge edges.

Michael Falzon, the parliamentary secretary responsible for Mepa, said reactions to this policy are expected by February.

He said that following the consultation period, all interested investors will know the parameters of where and how their projects can be developed and that all 72 submissions were made by the private sector. The new policy will be implemented for projects with a footprint of at least 1,000 square metres. Smaller projects will not be encouraged.

Energy from sun, wind and waste

According to the EU’s renewable energy directive, Malta has to produce 10 per cent of all its energy needs from renewable sources by 2020.

Malta’s National Renewable Energy Plan was approved by Brussels in 2011, laying the foundations for the island to reach these targets.

The detailed plan stated that by 2020, Malta would need to produce 160 MW of energy from solar, wind and waste energy resources. Of these, 110 MW had to be sourced from three wind farms located in Ħal-Far, Wied Rini and the largest mounted offshore in the area known as Sikka l-Bajda, due to the shallow sea bed.

Photovoltaic energy from solar panels would contribute some 30 MW of energy, together with another 8 MW from biogas.

Mepa yesterday said that by the end of this year, the currently-installed PV panels were producing some 40 MW of solar energy.