Granting Delimara power station an extension to monitor its use of heavy fuel oil indicates that the government will not make any progress on deciding whether to convert it to gas oil before the next election, said Labour’s environment spokesman Leo Brincat.

He said the delay until June 2013 showed the government had given baseless and deceitful assurances that the BWSC extension to the power station would not be polluting.

Apart from the technical issues and environmental health concerns of using heavy fuel oil for so long, Mr Brincat noted the timing meant the decision on gas oil would now be taken after the current legislature ended, rather than during the election campaign, as originally planned.

It is unclear why tests on the plant’s extension started eight weeks late, he said, and there was no explanation why its efficiency seemed lower than expected.

Mr Brincat added Mepa had to ensure Enemalta drew up plans to convert to gas oil as carry out the necessary monitoring, when it issued the power station’s permit last December.

It is now doubtful that Mepa can ensure Enemalta completes the feasibility study on the conversion by December.

This delay and new, intensified tests confirmed that nearby councils were right to request the use of gas oil instead of heavy fuel oil from the very beginning, Mr Brincat charged.