The LNG tanker that will be supplying the new gas-fired plant will not have to leave the Marsaxlokk harbour during storms, Electrogas, the consortium behind the power station told this paper.
Electrogas said the LNG tanker would rest at its regular berth using state-of-the art moorings which read the load on each mooring line in real time to enable the operators to ensure none are taken outside of their safe design load. In addition, a spread mooring system would allow the tanker to winch out to “a position of safety” should weather conditions dictate, Electrogas said.
It said the use of such a system would avoid the tanker having to leave the harbour by providing safe mooring. It was reacting to information revealed by The Sunday Times of Malta last week quoting technical sources who were at the centre of discussions regarding the need to move the tanker in fierce gales known to hit the area.
The mooring system will be held slack when not in use, so that it is always connected and ready but not impacting the navigation of other vessels.
The consortium assured that the necessary safety and security procedures would be in place for all eventualities.
“There are multiple measures in place in order to ensure that any scenarios, however remote, are compensated for by layered support measures, with support measures also having their own contingencies and so on and so forth,” Electrogas said.
The LNG tanker is double-hulled for additional protection, and the tanks storing the LNG are set far back in the ship to prevent damage, even in the event of a collision. Electrogas said there were safety systems on board to deal with any eventualities and competent, trained operators monitoring the situation constantly.
The consortium said it remained highly appreciative of the Civil Protection Department’s significant role in national security and looks to the department as a partner in managing and monitoring safety and security matters.
On its refusal to publish the Environmental Impact Assessment for the power plant, ElectroGas said it would be a breach of permit regulations to distribute the assessment to third parties.
Regarding the question of land storage facilities, Electrogas said initial studies showed that any land-based storage would utilise more than double the area taken up by the FSU and it would have had a significant and permanent impact on the environment.
That was why the vessel-based option was adopted.
"The vessel is a reversible and flexible option leaving no permanent impact on the area."