The environmental non-governmental organisation Din l-Art Helwa said this morning it was in favour of operating the Delimara power station with gas instead of heavy fuel oil, due to the better environmental performance of gas.

In its comments to the Malta Environment and Planning Authority as part of the ongoing Environment Impact Assessment on the power station’s conversion to gas, Din l-Art Helwa noted that the importation of gas to Delimara was possible through a natural gas pipeline or the construction of onshore/floating facilities for the importation of liquefied natural gas.

Both alternatives, it said, should be assessed as part of the EIA to ascertain that all options have been considered thoroughly and that the best long-term choices are made, with all the relevant environmental information made available to the public.

It asked if it will still be possible to obtain EU funding for a gas pipeline if onshore/floating LNG facilities are constructed.

Din l-Art Helwa noted that the construction of large onshore/floating LNG facilities might result in more energy being generated onshore, instead of being imported to Malta through the interconnector.

The organisation asks whether this may imply overall higher emissions from the local energy sector than envisaged in the current National Energy Policy, which relies heavily on the interconnector and includes a gas pipeline.

It said that Malta’s National Energy Policy of 2012 was subject to a Strategic Environmental Assessment and if significant modifications are made to it, it should first be updated and screened, before the EIA is completed.

Din l-Art Helwa noted that the gas pipeline infrastructure may have less intense environmental impacts in Marsaxlokk than the onshore/floating LNG facilities.

The land and marine impacts of both alternatives must be assessed in detail, including visual impact, the construction of a new jetty, dredging works, land reclamation, and the relocation of the Has-Saptan refuelling dolphin, it said.

Din l-Art Helwa has also requested that a Social Impact Assessment and a Cost Benefit Analysis are carried out in the overall environmental assessment of this application, as was the case for the new Delimara extension.

Din l-Art Helwa’s response to the EIA can be viewed on the organisation’s website.