Enemalta decided to use fuel with a sulphur content of 0.7 per cent at the Marsa power station as from August, Finance Minister Tonio Fenech said yesterday.

At present, fuel with a sulphur content of one per cent is used at Marsa. The fuel with lower sulphur content is similar to that which has been in use at the Delimara power station since May 2008 and will continue to be used at Marsa until the plant is decommissioned when the Delimara extension is completed by 2012.

Addressing the third World Fuel Oil Summit, held at the Corinthia Hotel in Attard yesterday, Mr Fenech told foreign guests about Malta's "two ambitious projects" to facilitate efficient energy returns and diminish the impact of emissions.

The first was the controversial power station extension, a new 140 MegaWatt power plant, which offers the flexibility of using either heavy-fuel oil or gasoil. "With a minor investment" (€27 million) it could be modified to use gas, Mr Fenech said.

The second project was the electricity cable link to Sicily, connecting Malta to the European energy grid, expected to be completed by 2012. This project would provide a backbone of strong supply which the government hoped to supplement with other sources of energy coming from wind turbines, for instance, he said.

Mr Fenech spoke about the partnership with IBM to install "smart meters" to empower consumers to monitor their own electricity consumption. The nationwide project was expected to be completed within three years, he said.