The Delimara plant project should serve as a blueprint for similar projects as it linked several technologies together, the European Commission’s Vice-President for Energy Union said yesterday.

Maros Sefcovic was in Malta as part of a series of visits to EU countries to discuss the EU’s plans for an energy union.

He visited the Delimara plant, called on Prime Minister Joseph Muscat at Castille and toured the House of Representatives.

During talks with Dr Muscat, Mr Sefcovic described the Delimara plant project and changes to Malta’s energy policies in recent years as“very impressive”.

European Commission Vice-President for Energy Union Maros Sefcovic (left) and Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi.

Mr Sefcovic said that, as well as making improvements to energy policies, the Commission would also be working on improving environment and transport policies, especially during next month’s summit on innovation.

His talks in the various European capitals have included the mechanism of the energy emissions trading system, measures to encourage consumers across Europe to save energy, transparency in energy billing, switching of energy suppliers by consumers, energy storage, integration of renewable energy in the national grids and how to reform the electricity market in Europe.

He said he also intended to present a new LNG strategy.

After touring the House of Representatives, Mr Sefcovic had a brief discussion with MPs.

Nationalist MP Tonio Fenech asked what progress has been made in EU assistance for Malta to have a gas pipeline from the mainland and possibly a link with North Africa. Mr Fenech observed that, despite what the Energy Union plans laid down, Maltese consumers had a single energy distributor and that distributor had been tied down to a power-purchase agreement for a number of years. The Maltese, he said, were not being given choice and transparency in pricing.

It is important to have a sub-sea pipeline so that energy is available at the lowest possible price

Was the Commission assessing the situation in Malta, including the role of the regulator?

It appeared, Mr Fenech continued, that the regulator was absent in Malta as prices abroad fell by a significantly higher figure compared to 25 per cent here.

In his reply, the Commissioner said that the gas pipeline project was very important for Malta, especially since it moved from the polluting heavy fuel oil to something which was more modern and would reduce emissions by a million tons per year.

For security of supply it was important to have a sub-sea pipeline so that energy could be available at the lowest possible price.

EU assistance took years, he said, but he wanted the process to be speeded up. He hoped a good solution of ‘blending’ funding sources could be agreed.

However, he did not answer the questions on billing transparency and the role of the energy regulator in Malta.

Mr Sefcovic said the EU would be judged by the people on the basis of prices, which would come about through security of supply, efficiency and decarbonisation. At a press conference before boarding his flight later in the afternoon, Mr Sefcovic said he would be welcoming Malta’s projects on renewables and looked forward to its plans for transport solutions and traffic management.

Mr Sefcovic said he was aware that transport and traffic were at the moment top issues in Malta and this was the number one issue across Europe.

As a result, the Vice-President said, the Energy Union would be working tirelessly on integrating climate goals with energy and transport policies.