Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1518765
8 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 10 APRIL 2024 ANALYSIS IN terms of emissions the use of diesel, albeit limited to 500 hours a year, represents a step back from Liquified Natural Gas, but remains a far cry from the impacts of a permanent power plant fuelled exclusively by Heavy fuel oil (HFO). Even during the pre-2013 controversary on the HFO- fired BWSC plant, the Marsax- lokk, Birżebbuġa and Zejtun local councils had called on the government to use diesel until the cleaner natural gas became available. The decision at the time to opt for HFO had represented a U-turn for the Nationalist government which in 2008 had underhandedly increased the allowable emission limits for the Delimara power station in the middle of the tender pro- cess. This enabled BWSC to use Heavy Fuel Oil instead of gasoil, and still comply with en- vironmental requirements. When the HFO-operated BWSC plant was approved by the Planning Authority in 2011 the Labour Party reacted by promising that upon being elected it would initiate the process to convert the power station to gas, by first convert- ing it to diesel. But the government refused this option on the back of of a study commissioned by Ene- malta authored by economist Gordon Cordina showing that gasoil was 44 % more expensive than HFO, while claiming that the use of abatement technol- ogy ensured HFO emissions would remain within EU limits. This was not enough to allay the concerns of residents in the Southeast, which prompted Jo- seph Muscat to pledge to close- down the Delimara 'cancer fac- tory'- a term he coined during an electoral campaign domi- nated by Labour's energy plan, which revolved around private investment in a new LNG pow- ered plant. Upon being elected to power the new Labour government honoured its pledge by embark- ing on a gas purchasing agree- ment to supply both the new Electrogas power plant and the BWSC plant, which was con- verted to LNG following an in- jection of Chinese investment. This enabled the government to shift to LNG without having to resort to gasoil in the short intermediate process. In fact, rather than shifting to gasoil, Labour ended up extending the operational permit for the HFO plant till 2015. By 2017 Malta became completely reliant on LNG and electricity imported from the interconnector, while boasting that Malta had enough energy to fuel the economic boom. It was on this aspect, that the government seems to have missed the plot, after the coun- try was exposed to 10 days pf continuous power outages., a situation blamed on poor dis- tribution infrastructure. Diesel makes a comeback But following last year's pow- er outrage the government has opted to install a 60 MW "tem- porary" diesel-powered "emer- gency plant" to serve as back up and avoid a repetition of last year's power outrage. The decision to invest in the temporary plant was publicly announced by Energy Minis- ter Miriam Dalli in November 2023, when she said the gov- ernment was allocating €12 million for a power source that could generate an extra 60MW of electricity if one of the exist- ing power supplies were to be interrupted in some way. But in a letter sent to the En- vironment and Resources Au- thority underlining the urgency of the new plant to justify its exemption from a lengthy En- vironment Impact Assessment, Enemalta CEO Ryan Fava warned that in the absence of the new plant the energy com- pany "will not be able to guar- antee the security of electricity supply." Fava blamed the un- foreseen spike in demand on climate change "which has cre- ated extreme weather condi- tions, including long periods of extreme heat during the sum- mer months." These statements contradict- ed previous claims by Enemalta during last year's power outage that its "current electricity gen- eration capacity is capable of meeting the demand require- ments of the country, even dur- ing periods of severe weather conditions, when consumption tends to increase". The ERA subsequently ac- cepted to waive the need for an Environmental Impact As- sessment for the new plant which according to Fava would have resulted in a delay which could have caused "a significant number of customers being left without electricity supply for a considerable period." Is the 'cancer factory' back Malta will be spending €37 million to install two diesel generators that will be used for a maximum of 47 days in a two-year period, to prop up the energy supply and avoid a repetition of last year's power outrage until the second interconnector comes on board. Does this represent a U-turn on Labour's 2013 promise to close the 'cancer factory' once and for all, James Debono asks. The PN has reacted by shooting down what it described as the government's amateur energ y policy, while noting that after spending years calling heavy fuel oil-powered energ y a "cancer factory" it was now falling back on diesel power