The power capacity of Mellieħa Distribution Centre has been doubled after a major upgrade by Enemalta.
The company said its works strengthened security of supply to customers in several localities in the northern part of the country.
The 33 kV Mellieħa Distribution Centre is one of the main nodes of the national electricity grid. It receives electricity from the 132 kV Mosta Distribution Centre and distributes it to customers in parts of Rabat, Mġarr, St Paul’s Bay, Manikata and Mellieħa. It is also an important link to the network supplying electricity on the island of Gozo.
The €1.4 million investment started towards the end of 2015 with structural alterations to the distribution centre’s building to accommodate the new equipment. The distribution centre’s 1971 10/15 MVA transformers were replaced with two new 15/22.5 MVA power transformers. This increase in capacity was necessary to meet the rapid increase in residential and commercial electricity demand at Mellieħa and other nearby areas.
This project also included the replacement of the 1971 11 kV oil-insulated switchboard with 17 panel gas-insulated switchgear manufactured to Enemalta’s specifications by Siemens in Italy. Through the increased number of panels, Enemalta improved its control over the area’s 11 kV network.
"This development reduces the risk and duration of service interruptions to customers by spreading the area’s electricity load over a wider network. It enables the company to provide a quicker response to service interruptions caused by accidental damage, natural faults or other network difficulties, Enemalta said.
The distribution centre’s protection and control systems were also upgraded to make it easier for the company’s network engineers to monitor and operate this distribution centre remotely.
Enemalta chairman Fredrick Azzopardi explained that this upgrade forms part of the company’s €80 million Network Reinforcement Project launched in 2014. “We are carrying out a major overhaul of the national electricity grid. As we can see in this distribution centre, we are replacing equipment that dates back decades. It is impossible to upgrade the entire network at one go. In fact, this unprecedented investment is only the beginning of Enemalta’s commitment to an ongoing network consolidation and expansion programme. We are dedicating as many resources as we can to continue giving our customers the quality of service they expect from us.”