A detailed study analysing the way liquefied natural gas is unloaded is one of the requirements highlighted by an Italian expert for the proposed Delimara storage tanker in Marsaxlokk Bay.
The report by Umberto Maffezzoli, commissioned by the Occupational Health and Safety Authority, was finally released yesterday after repeated calls by NGOs to ensure all the information was available to the public.
Carried out in December, this report precedes the quantitative risk assessment prepared by Roberto Vaccari and a preliminary study for the development of consultation zones in Delimara peninsula, by Greek expert George Papadakis.
It comes just before Parliament debated the project last night (see page 9), ahead of the planning authority’s hearing on the application for the Delimara gas power station on Monday.
Yesterday morning the NGO Din l-Art Ħelwa questioned why the Maffezzoli report had not been released and insisted the Mepa board should not be convened when some of the risk analysis studies had not yet been completed.
The OHSA obliged and released the report last night saying that the report prepared by Dr Papadakis was the one it had endorsed as part of the Seveso directive since it took into consideration all the previous reports on the project.
The Papadakis study concluded that the safety risks from a gas storage tanker were within acceptable levels and procedures could minimise the possibility of an accident. The environment impact assessment carried out for Mepa also cleared the project.
The Maffezzoli report calls for the replacement of the fuel unloading area; the consideration of possible seismic movement; and the application of the best available technology to reduce risks and prevent environmental pollution, among others. It also calls for an analysis of existing and future arrangements in terms of transport, storage and handling of hazardous substances.
This study, the report says, would give important information on land use planning, emergency planning and transport management and should be issued before the LNG facilities are started.
The report adds that by June Enemalta was required to submit a specific design to the competent authorities to decommission the so-called fuelling dolphin unloading area.
Last October Electrogas Malta Consortium was chosen as the winning bidder to build the LNG plant and the new gas power station.
A controversy erupted over the safety of having the LNG storage facility located offshore or inside the bay – the latter scenario is being contested by residents and NGOs.
The Sunday Times of Malta revealed that the government had turned down an offer to place the LNG storage facility up to 100km offshore and instead preferred to have the facility placed permanently inside Marsaxlokk.