Energy provider Enemalta denied that the technology slated to be used at the new Delimara power station was experimental.

During Thursday's planning authority board hearing to discuss the application for an outline development permit for an extension at the power station, Enemalta engineer Peter Grima said the chosen technology, which combined diesel engines with emissions filtering equipment, was unique in the world although the individual components were tried and tested.

Enemalta said it wished to clarify that Mr Grima did not at any point say that the technology being used at the Delimara power station was untested or being applied for the first time.

On the contrary, the company said, he actually explained that there were examples of diesel engines and other generating plants using similar technology worldwide.

With regard to the abatement technology, Enemalta said there was a large diesel engine plant in Korea that was already equipped with nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide and dust abatement equipment that had been working perfectly well for some four years and was similar to what was being installed at Delimara.

The company said the only thing that was a first was "the combination of these specific diesel engines and this specific abatement technology. Enough is known about both from experience elsewhere to accurately predict how the combination of the two will work out".

"It is unfounded to say anything 'experimental' is being done at Delimara," the company concluded.