A Labour government would target a 60-day planning approval deadline for its gas-fired power station, according to energy frontman Konrad Mizzi.

Environment impact report for extension to be benchmark

He said this time frame was identical to that adopted by the Government when it signed the contract with Tecom Investments, the company building Smart City.

Dr Mizzi said the time frames in the Labour Party’s energy plan for the construction of a 200MW power station, the gas handling infrastructure and the conversion of the new Delimara plant to gas were realistic.

He was answering a question by The Times yesterday during a press conference organised by the Broadcasting Authority.

Labour’s choice of subject for the conference was Cheaper Bills – Cleaner Air and Dr Mizzi took questions from a panel of journalists.

The energy plan unveiled in the first week of the campaign says the project would be ready within 23 months, from adjudication stage to construction.

Even people who have found the plan acceptable feel this time frame is ambitious. But Dr Mizzi was unfazed.

He said six weeks would be needed to study the project’s impact since the environment impact assessment done for the Delimara extension would be used as a benchmark study.

Dr Mizzi explained that the energy generation market had been liberalised but nobody had bothered to enter the market until now because there were barriers, such as the availability of land.

This would be made available to the private sector, he added.

Asked to justify the reduction in utility tariffs for families in March 2014 when the infrastructure would only be ready a year later, Dr Mizzi said it was standard practice when signing a power purchase agreement to receive an advance payment.

He quantified this at around €30 million and said it would be used to reduce utility bills a year after the election.

ksansone@timesofmalta.com