The government said yesterday that it will not publish the risk assessment carried out by an international group on the LNG tanker to be permanently anchored in Marsaxlokk Bay.
Refusing a formal request by the Times of Malta under the Freedom of Information Act, the government said the publication of this document would “have a substantial adverse effect on the proper and efficient conduct of the operations of a public authority” and that “it will also have an adverse effect on the negotiations by government or a public entity”.
The outright refusal comes two days before the arrival of the 300m-long Armada LNG Mediterrana to Marsaxlokk.
The Times of Malta yesterday filed an official objection to the government’s decision, insisting the publication of the study was “in the public interest” and concerned the safety of thousands of residents, particularly in Marsaxlokk and Birzebbuga.
Both local councils in the area have also been insisting on the publication of the risk assessment.
Joe Gasan, the chairman of the Gasan Group, who with the Tumas Group are the local shareholders of the Electrogas consortium, last week avoided saying why his company was keeping this important study under wraps.
“As far as I am aware, all the studies are fine,” he said.
But when asked why they were keeping the tanker safety study away from public scrutiny, he avoided answering.
Sources close to Electrogas, the consortium building the new gas-fired power plant, yesterday told this newspaper that the tanker is expected to reach Marsaxlokk Bay sometime this Saturday.
Yesterday, the LNG tanker, known as a floating storage unit, entered the Mediterranean Sea after sailing through the Suez Canal.
It is not yet known whether the tanker will actually be moored alongside the new quay built next to the power plant or be anchored outside port until the plant is closer to commissioning.
The risk assessment was carried by MARIN, a Dutch company, on behalf of Electrogas.
Although the new power plant was originally expected to start producing energy in March 2015, the assessment was only presented to the authorities a few months ago.
Refusing to publish the conclusions of the study, Electrogas said that “it has no remit to publish this study” and referred this newspaper to the authorities, particularly Transport Malta and the Occupational Health and Safety Authority.
However, these two authorities also refused to make the study available, saying that they were not its owners.
The study, which forms part of the environmental impact assessment for the project, delves into the effect bad weather could have on the vessel and details the safety precautions which will need to be in place.
It also includes information on what measures have to be taken in case of a gas leak and how it will affect general harbour movement due to its moored position.
This is the first time that a fully-loaded LNG tanker will be permanently moored in a Maltese bay.
It is not yet known whether the local authorities are equipped to cater for an LNG incident, although the OHSA has told the Times of Malta that it is taking all the necessary measures.
ivan.camilleri@timesofmalta.com