Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1527639
6 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 9 OCTOBER 2024 NEWS JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt THE number of charging points in Malta is set to increase to 1,572 by the end of 2025. This repre- sents a four-fold increase in the number of charging points. However, this represents only 24% of the total 6,500 charging points the government is commit- ted to introduce by 2030. Replying to a parliamentary question by Nationalist MP Ry- an Callus, Environment Minister Miriam Dalli confirmed that the government plans to increase the number of charging points for electric vehicles (EVs) to 1,572 and the number of charging pillars to 786 "by the end of next year," just five years before the 2030 deadline. She also reiterated the govern- ment's commitment to increase the number of charging points for electric vehicles (EVs) to 6,500 by 2030 as outlined in Malta's Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), which aims to reduce emissions by encouraging the transition to low-emission trans- port. Dalli disclosed that 600 sites have been identified for the instal- lation of charging pillars following extensive consultations with local councils, Enemalta and the Super- intendence for Cultural Heritage, followed by applications sub- mitted to Transport Malta, with most approvals granted in recent months. A call for tenders for the installation of the charging pillars has also been issued and is in the final stage of evaluation. The government also intends to issue a new call for additional sites for charging infrastructure in its next phase, which will include a number of new charging pillars in Gozo, supporting the strategy's broader goal of achieving sustain- able mobility across the islands. In the budget speech for 2024 the Finance Minister had declared that work was underway to have 1,200 new charging points for electric vehicles. No deadline was given for completion of this pro- ject. Previously the government had invested in 372 public charging points spread over 186 sites across Malta and Gozo. He had also announced that a project is also underway where the Government will invest in a single national digital platform, to merge public charging points into a single system, for a complete and better service. Malta's LCDS emphasises the need for increased electrification in the transport sector to achieve a significant reduction in green- house gas emissions. The deployment of a robust EV charging network is seen as criti- cal to encouraging wider adoption of electric vehicles, supporting the shift from internal combustion engines to electrified options as part of the country's long-term decarbonisation goals. STATISTICS on dwellings ap- proved by the Planning Authority in 2023 show that 22% of all new dwellings approved were located on pockets of urban greenery, known as "greenfield sites," down from 25% the previous year. Ac- cording to the Planning Author- ity's definition, greenfield sites consist of open plots of land in the development zone that have never been previously developed. In 2023, the Planning Author- ity approved a total of 8,112 new dwellings, of which 1,805 were located in previously un- developed plots of land. On the other hand, 6,307 dwellings were approved on brownfield sites i.e. sites which had already been built up. These include pockets of land added to the development zone in 2006, as well as pockets of urban greenery that were on- ly released for development in recent years. Although in- ternal developments in urban enclaves are normally not al- lowed, development is often facilitated by the approval of roads that grant access to dwellings fronting them. The percentage of dwellings approved on greenfield sites has decreased from 36% in 2012 to 22% in 2023. However, the actual number of dwell- ings on greenfield sites has in- creased from 1,110 in 2012 to 1,805 in 2023. The highest number of dwell- ings approved on greenfield sites was recorded in 2019, when 3,535 dwellings were approved on vacant plots. These accounted for 28% of the 12,474 dwellings approved that year. In the past five years the percentage of dwellings approved in these pockets has hovered between 21% and 28%. Only 1,815 of the dwellings approved in 2023 involved the conversion of existing building stock. In contrast, 4,061 were the result of redevelopment projects involving the demoli- tion of existing buildings. The number of ODZ dwell- ings approved in 2023, at just 86, was the lowest since 2015. However, these still represent- ed 1% of approved new dwell- ings, the same proportion as in 2022 when 100 ODZ dwellings were approved. The highest number of ODZ dwellings approved since 2007 was recorded in 2017, when 147 such dwellings were ap- proved. The statistics were recently published by the Planning Au- thority on its website. Malta to hit 1,572 EV charging points by 2025 1,805 dwellings approved on greenfield sites in 2023 But Malta is still a long way off from 2030 target of 6,500 charging points A total of 1805 dwellings were approved on open plots located within the development zone in 2023, down from 2399 in 2022. The number of ODZ (Outside Development Zone) dwellings is the lowest since 2015. The number of ODZ dwellings approved in 2023, at just 86, was the lowest since 2015