Marsaxlokk mayor Edric Micallef has criticised Enemalta for not flagging problems linked to the exhaust cleaning filters at the new Delimara power station.

He said the energy provider should inform the public rather than wait for issues to be flagged by the media or residents.

“Enemalta should be transparent when dealing with consumers,” Mr Micallef said, referring to a report carried by this newspaper last week on dust filter bags damaged during test runs.

The bags were meant to last two years but were damaged after some months of operation. They are used to remove hazardous sulphur oxide (SOX) fumes created when sulphur in heavy fuel oil is burnt.

The filtering equipment is crucial for the power plant to remain within EU emission targets and Enemalta only spoke about the case when questioned by The Times.

The corporation confirmed that 30 filter bags had been damaged, adding that the problem was not significant. “The fault occurred in 1.4 per cent of the dust filter bags, that is, in 30 bags out of the 2,200 installed,” a spokesman had said, adding that dust emissions were still within contract specifications.

But Mr Micallef was unimpressed. “At a meeting of the air quality monitoring board on Friday I asked them to give a public explanation when problems developed at the new plant.”

The mayor said residents complained of foul smells coming from the new plant and, at some point, Enemalta also confirmed that they had problems with the equipment that filtered nitrogen oxide gases.

“The problems with the air filtering systems at Delimara go to prove that the new power station is a prototype untested anywhere else in the world,” Mr Micallef said.

The Delimara power station extension is a prototype because it combines air filtering equipment with diesel engines run on heavy fuel oil. The council wants the plant to run on the cleaner gasoil instead. “We want the power plant to run on gasoil as an interim measure until it is converted to gas,” Mr Micallef said.