On January 20, Times of Malta published an interesting article about the gas storage and the new power station in Delimara. It was an article that quoted the opinion of a Dutch expert, Hans Pasman on the qualitative risk assessment carried out by this government as part of an environmental impact assessment.
The comments and questions asked by the expert, who has more than 40 years’ experience, vindicate all that we said last July when we had given the media our reactions to the terms of reference of the EIA.
At the time, we had said that there needs to be a serious risk assessment and we also pointed out which issues had to be tackled. From the comments, questions and doubts expressed by Pasman, it is obvious that the risk assessment report is not exactly exhaustive. It is not complete and other more detailed studies are needed so that one can reach decisions.
Pasman quite clearly states that one must be very careful how much liquid natural gas (LNG) is stored in a small enclosed port like that of Marsaxlokk. He says it is not ideal to have a 140,000 cubic-metre gas storage adjacent to the biggest power station in the country. Remember that, before the election, Joseph Muscat & Co. had said that only 60,000 cubic metres would be stored and when we told them this small amount was not credible, they insisted we were mistaken.
Pasman said that the best option to fuel a gas power station was that of a pipeline between Malta and Sicily because this presents fewer hazards. This is exactly why the energy plan being followed by the previous government – a public plan that had gone through detailed scrutiny before being finalised – declares that gas from an LNG terminal is not suitable for our country. This is also why, however, the previous government had purchased a new power station that could easily be adapted to being fuelled by gas when the pipeline was eventually built.
Pasman goes on to say it is “rather presumptuous” to assume that there will be no effects on inhabited areas, as the government report states. He continues that this report is grossly mistaken when it tries to ignore the possibility that “a cloud of leaked gas from the storage facility would get sucked up by the combustion engine (of the power station itself), with potentially catastrophic consequences”.
Pasman also called for a more detailed maritime risk assessment because the report deals very lightly with the possibility of a ship collision.
The Dutch expert continued that he is not at all convinced with the way the report discusses the hazards associated with the transfer of gas from the supply ship to the storage vessel and, simultaneously, to the power station.
Pasman raises other points throwing doubt on how much we can be assured that there will be no dangers because of the plant and storage.
Let me make it clear once again. There is consensus on the need to switch to gas plants and there is consensus that the price of electricity should go down. But we have to make sure that this is achieved without creating any needless hazards especially now that, thanks to the new BWSC plant, Enemalta is already saving €52 million a year from electricity generation and an interconnector is at hand.
Above all, we must be certain that the impacts resulting from this government’s choices are properly assessed in order for human health and the environment to be protected.
Most of all, we must ensure that we do not end up endangering electricity generation in our country. Let us not forget that Minister Konrad Mizzi stated that the energy plan is not going to be modified because there is no time for studies. This attitude puts our lives, especially those of people living in the south of Malta, on the balance for the next 20 years – January 24.
ICT sector
We often take the IT or ICT sector for granted. This is a sector created in the 1990s when two crucial initiatives were taken: the setting up of the Management Systems Unit and the drawing up of the first national IT strategy by the Malta Council for Science and Technology. It was a strategy built on five pillars: education, infrastructure, incentives, legislation and strategic partnerships.
It is clear that without a strong commitment of the Nationalist Government in education, this sector would not be where it is today.
We have to remember that more than eight per cent of the GDP comes from the ICT sector, which today employs no fewer than 8,000 workers. This investment has put the country among the top in the world in eGaming. The government built the foundations but it was then the private sector that grabbed the opportunity and utilised the infrastructure provided.
But what is happening now?
It is obvious that our country needs a renewed strategy for this sector. I know that this government is planning one and has started discussing its framework with certain stakeholders. A quality leap in education is also called for. People who work in the sector say we have many people with a general IT preparation but what we need at this point are specialist skills in certain niches such as enterprise resource planning consultants and experts in business intelligence.
We must ensure we do not end up endangering electricity generation
It’s good to have an updated strategy but the government must first realise that money must be spent to invest as we did in the last 20 years. Unless this happens, all we will have are pies in the sky and, I’m afraid, that, gradually, we will start sliding backwards in a sector that is so vital to our country – January 23.
House business
I stood up in Parliament on January 22 to stress that the government side needs to follow the directions given some months ago by the Speaker, Anġlu Farrugia, and not be too long-winded when answering parliamentary questions. I expressed myself prudently not to offend Minister Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca. I even used the collective verb to emphasise that both sides of the House are bound to respect the highest institution of the land.
My comments were not directed at the minister, although they were made when she was replying to a supplementary question and had already been going on for more than 10 minutes. To be honest, I felt she was prolonging her reply excessively. Question Time in Parliament is only 30 minutes long at most.
I intervened because this habit of some ministers and parliamentary secretaries of protracting their answers to limit the questions they receive is now becoming almost a pattern.
I have greatly appreciated the solidarity shown towards me by my colleagues in the Opposition when Minister Joe Mizzi, in his typical manner, requested that I be sanctioned (named) and steps taken against me.
As Mario de Marco, the deputy Opposition Leader for parliamentary affairs rightly said, it is unjust for the government side to overreact so badly every time the Opposition stands up for its rights or asks that the government follows the decisions and directions of the Speaker.
Instead of attacking Opposition MPs, the government should be exemplary in answering questions asked in Parliament for the sake of seriousness and transparency – January 22.
http://georgepullicino.blogspot.com
George Pullicino is a Nationalist MP.