Connection to European power grid

The government is to identify the most feasible ways and means of connecting Malta to Europe’s energy networks by the year’s end and is working with German consultants Laymeyer International on the economic, strategic, regulatory and technical impacts of different interconnection possibilities.

With electricity generation accounting for 63 per cent of Malta’s greenhouse gas emissions, the initiative will be crucial if Malta is to meet EU climate change directives, as well as the European Commission’s target of achieving a 20 per cent reduction from 1990 carbon dioxide levels.

According to Malta’s autumn update of its National Reform Programme, the government is working with the German consultants on preparation plans that envisage a 200MVA electricity connection with Sicily.

Such an interconnection would be coupled with more irregular sources of energy such as the proposed multi-megawatt offshore wind farm project as well as the generation of electricity from waste.

Malta is also investigating the possibility of sourcing natural gas as an alternative to the liquid fuels currently in use at the power stations.

Once the offshore wind farm comes into operation, excess green energy generated could be exported as a renewable energy source.

The grid interconnection would, meanwhile, provide electricity supply security at times when power generated by the offshore wind farm is not available. The government will be seeking funding from the European Union for both projects.

The connection with the European power grid is integral for the emergence of the wind farm project. As the report, presented yesterday, states, “An interconnection to the European electrical network is unavoidable for the integration of an intermittent source of energy such as the proposed multi-megawatt offshore wind farm, given the stability issues that would otherwise arise in a small isolated system such as currently in Malta.”

The wind farm project would constitute a public-private partnership and the government is assessing replies to a call for expressions of interest in the project, which would have a final capacity of between 75 and 100 megawatts. Nine such replies are being analysed.

In all, the NRP is built upon five main pillars: the sustainability of public finances, competition, employment, education and the environment.

While progress is being made on all fronts, Malta still faces significant hurdles in meeting the goals laid out in the European Union’s Lisbon Strategy, which member states’ NRPs address. Malta is, however, making headway toward the ambitious targets on which the whole of the EU, including Malta, appears to be lagging behind.

Among the most problematic areas for Malta is the boosting of investment in research and development activities stemming from both the public and private sectors and raising the country’s female workforce participation rate.

On the latter, Malta’s growth rate last year stood no less than 4.1 per cent higher than the EU average growth rate, while female university enrolments were outstripping those of their male counterparts, Competitiveness and Communications Minister Censu Galea said yesterday while presenting Malta’s autumn update to it’s National Reform Programme.

Each member state presented the European Commission with such an NRP in 2005, aimed at addressing the Lisbon Strategy goals, and are required to present twice-yearly progress reports to the European Commission.

While a number of the goals set out in Malta’s NRP have been achieved, the implementation of other measures are also underway.

But, Mr Galea commented, the results of certain measures take time to come to fruition, while it also had to be recalled that Malta had been far behind when it started off on many of the goals. Female participation was a case in point, he said. While Malta still stood at the bottom of the EU league in the area, its growth rate considerably outstripped that of the rest of the EU.

Malta’s update to the NRP was drawn up last month and the Commission is expected to provide its feedback on Malta’s progress some time in January.