The Mepa Board this evening turned down an application for the building of a wind farm on Is-Sikka l-Bajda off Mellieha. All the board members voted for the refusal except Ryan Callus, the Opposition's nominee on the Mepa board.

The permit application, submitted by the former government in 2009, was refused on environmental grounds because of the impact which the project would have had on the marine environment and bird colonies at nearby L-Ahrax tal-Mellieha.

But Mr Callus argued that the environment impact assessment had not been completed yet. He also insisted that the project was vital for the country since it would have yielded 40% of the renewable energy target which Malta needs to achieve in terms of EU commitments. He wondered how anyone could argue that the wind farm would not have been viable, when studied showed the opposite, and in the UK, much bigger wind farms were viable. The decision, he said, should be taken after measures to mitigate the environmental impact, such as a single test turbine, were taken.

The site, he said, had been selected by experts who viewed it as the best. Rejecting it would effectively be rejecting wind energy in general.

Former minister George Pullicino, who was among the public following proceedings, said the development was being considered as though it was a new project on virgin land, when the area was already being used for bunkering. The damage tot he marine environment from bunkering was probably more serious than that caused by the windfarms.

Marthese Portelli, shadow minister for energy, said this was a premature decision. Once wind energy was being discounted, what would replace it for Malta to achieve its renewable energy targets?

Mepa chairman Vince Cassar, who is also Mepa Environment Director, admitted that he was the one who had recommended that the environment impact assessment process be stopped, because there were too many negative impacts and there was therefore no need to spend more money on consultants and studies.

The wind farm would have consisted of up to 19 turbines with a maximum output of 95 MW.

The project would have covered an area of about 11 square kilometres with a water depth varying between 10-35m. 

The Sikka l-Bajda wind farm was supposed to be used for a period of 20-25 years after which the farm would have been decommissioned.

Is-Sikka l-Bajda is a reef located approximately 1.5km from il-Ponta ta l-Ahrax, Mellieha, to the north of Malta.  

Rdum tal-Madonna, which is 1.5 km away from the reef is a Special Protected Area and a Special Area of Conservation principally for its internationally important colony of Yelkouan Shearwaters.

These birds, together with Cory’s Shearwaters, breed and raft in and around the area of the proposed development. Both are species of high conservation value. The impact on bird species, the marine environment and marine life could not be effectively mitigated.

PERMIT FOR REUSE OF QUARRY REFUSED

The Mepa Board also refused planning permission for the proposed rehabilitation of a disused quarry and its use as a temporary storage for bulky refuse and the parking of related collection vehicles.

The quarry, situated in an area known as Tat-Tomna limits of Mellieha consists of a stretch of excavated land located on a gentle slope within a protected Area of High Landscape Value (AHLV), an Area of Ecology Importance (AEI) and a Site of Scientific Importance (SSI).

The Board said that although such the proposed activity in itself may be considered as a positive means of recycling bulky refuse, other sites which are appropriate or designated to cater for such an activity should be sought.

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