Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1515804
9 NEWS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 11 FEBRUARY 2024 large battery systems as storage for imported electricity, the first project – tagged at €35 million and financed through ERDF funds – being based in the Delimara plant, while another €12 million battery financed by Recovery and Resilience Funds based in the un- derground tunnels beneath the old Marsa plant. Dalli said other sources of re- newable energy such as hydrogen are not viable on a commercial scale, but said the Maltese govern- ment will start work on a strategy to introduce the non-polluting fu- el as an alternative for diesel and other fuel processes that cannot switch to electricity. Since 2022, the ministry has embarked on a €15 million up- grade of the energy distribution network, and in 2024 another €55 million that will include ad- ditional reserve generation capac- ity. In the last two years, 80 new substations have been built and another 66 modernised, with new distribution centres being built in Naxxar, Siggiewi, Rabat, Dingli and the Cottonera area. Dalli also said extreme weath- er events, now becoming more frequent, are also making water resources scarcer, more unpre- dictable and with increased risks of pollution. "Floods and sea-level heights can contaminate land and water resources with their own or oth- er pollution and cause damage to water and sanitation infrastruc- ture, such as wells, sanitation fa- cilities and waste water treatment systems," she said. The Water Services Corpora- tion has reduced groundwater ab- straction by 5%, while €1 million is being spent on the polishing of treated sewage water to be reused in agriculture – 350 'new water' dispensers will be added across the island for farmers to use this water instead of groundwater for irrigation. At the same time, energy-hun- gry reverse osmosis plants, which convert sea water into potable water, has increased water pro- duction by 50% above 2020 levels. Dalli said reforms in waste strat- egy had also delivered over 20,000 tonnes of recyclable waste – the largest ever volume for the coun- try. Mixed 'black bag' waste had also decreased by 23%, the lowest levels received by WasteServ in the last 20 years. Separated organ- ic waste has also increased by 35% in volume from 2022 – converted into 4.1 million units of energy, or enough electricity for 570 house- holds. The plan is to reduce waste that ends up in landfills to below 10%, with a waste-to-energy project that will take 192,000 tonnes of waste and converted into energy catering for 4.5% of national de- mand. Dalli said transport in Malta now accounts for 30% of national emissions, and said that after free bus travel and ferry services in the ports, more sea travel was envis- aged to connect the northern part of the island. Charging points for electric cars are also expected to jump from 322 to 1,200. government climate obligations Energy Minister Miriam Dalli is piloting the creation of an authority that will be obliged to monitor government actions to reduce carbon emissions