Unless Malta starts to connect with the rest of Europe energy-wise, it would have no part of the benefits therein, Finance Minister Tonio Fenech told Labour MP Leo Brincat in reply to a parliamentary supplementary question.

Originally Mr Brincat had asked about the costs of transmission of energy over the interconnector grid from Sicily. Mr Fenech said these had been calculated at around €25 per megawatt.

On whether the government had made some feasibility study on the cost benefits, or whether the financial assumptions were still untested, the minister replied that various studies had been made of the best options: whether to go for electricity or gas, or for Malta to have its own generation plant.

It had been found to be feasibly more sensible to go for this option, not only in terms of costs. Any wind farms in Malta would have to form part of a greater grid. Besides, there was the element of security of supply in the event of a power cut in Malta’s only power station.