Malta could do without the new Electrogas power plant, as the Delimara 2 plant could provide spare capacity in emergency cases, Energy shadow minister Marthese Portelli said this afternoon.
“This is a corrupt project whose only aim is to bind the government to purchase electricity at high rates for 18 years,” she said during a news conference at the PN headquarters.
“Through this agreement Enemalta will buy electricity at 9c6 per unit, when the price through the Malta-Sicily interconnector varies between 3c at night and 6c during the day,” she added.
The Opposition spokeswoman made these remarks in the wake of government’s arguments that without a new plant, the country could risk spending up to 700 hours a year without power. This calculation is based on the fact that the ageing Delimara 1 plant will be soon decommissioned, whereas the Delimara 2 plant, though still functional is too costly to operate. Consequently, the country would be left with just the 200MW interconnector, and the 150 BWSC plant, which would not be enough to cater for the peak 420 MW demand.
This calculation is based on the fact that the ageing Delimara 1 plant will be soon decommissioned, whereas the Delimara 2 plant, though still functional, is too costly to operate. Consequently, the country would be left with just the 200MW interconnector, and the 150 BWSC plant, which would not be enough to cater for the peak 420 MW demand.
In her reaction, Dr Portelli insisted that the Delimara 2 plant, which has a total output of 160MW, would only be required in case of emergencies.
She argued that apart from the BWSC and the interconnector, one had to factor in the additional 50MW generated by PV panels, which is set to increase further in the coming years. This would give a combined generation output of 400MW which is enough to cater for existing demand, while leaving Delimara 2 for emergency situations, she said.
While agreeing with government’s decision to convert electricity generation from heavy fuel oil to gas, the PN is arguing that such move should be postponed until the gas pipeline is in place, so as not to have a permanently berthed gas tanker in Marsaxlokk Bay.
Critics of the PN plan have questioned whether the conversion of Delimara 2 would be economically viable in time for a gas pipeline to be in place.
Asked to clarify the party’s position, she said that a decision whether to convert Delimara 2 to gas or build a new plant once the pipeline would be operational, would be taken in the consumers’ best interest.
She also said that a PN government would give consumers the option to choose the cheapest energy provider. Asked how such mechanism would work, Dr Portelli said that further details would be announced once the PN published its detailed energy policy.
Furthermore, an investigation would be carried out to verify if the contract between the government and Electrogas was signed in “good faith”. If this would not the case, “the deal would be automatically null and void”, she remarked.
PN plan is 'back to heavy fuel oil', PL says
In a statement reacting to the PN press conference, the Labour Party said that the Opposition had confirmed that its energy plans amounted to winding back the clock.
"The PN is confirming that Delimara 1 - the part of the power station that this government will be shutting down - would keep on running, to the detriment of people living in surrounding areas," the party statement read.
Conversion to gas will drastically reduce emissions - government
And in another statement, the government said that it was only through the conversion to gas that the old plants could be switched off, drastically reducing emissions.
It was also because of the conversion that tariffs could be reduced.
The government said the Opposition was using its own yardstick when it tried to allege corruption. For the corruption had been in commissions in the sale of oil, it said.