Updated:

Power to all localities was restored by 8.47 p.m. today, four-and-a-half hours after a fault at Boiler seven at Marsa power station caused a nation-wide blackout.

Finance Minister Tonio Fenech said at a press conference that the boiler fault was 'sudden and without warning'. At the time the Marsa power station was producing 67MW while 184MW were being generated at Delimara. As a consequence of the failure, all systems at Marsa and Delimara shut down immediately to prevent overload and damage.

The minister said the engineers and workers were doing their best to restore power to all areas as soon as possible. For now, he said, all the load was being put on Delimara power station while turbine nine at Marsa was also being switched on.

He said the fault was thought to have been technical and there was no foul play. It was hoped, he said, that all areas would have power by midnight. As at 6.45, the minister said, power had been restored to 40% of the country.

He apologised for all inconvenience caused and said it was a fact that Marsa power station was old and the government was working to eventually be able to phase it out.

The minister also thanked the GWU for lifting industrial action that had been in place at Marsa power station.

ENEMALTA UPDATE

Enemalta said at 7.45 that power had been restored to 70 per cent of the country, with power having been supplied to parts of Sta Venera, Birkirkara, Mriehel, Qormi amd St Julians.

Power to all the grid was restored at 8.47 p.m.