Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/193056
2 News maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 16 OCTOBER 2013 Despite 2008 shift, Delimara continued to burn over 0.9%S fuel oil MIRIAM DALLI DESPITE the Nationalist administration's policy to start burning fuel oil with low sulphur content at 0.7%, fuel purchased by Enemalta on a number of occasions failed to adhere to these specifications. Instances when fuel was purchased off specs was also confirmed by Enemalta's petroleum division manager Philip Borg during a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee discussing the Auditor General's fuel procurement report. During a 2010 World Fuel Oil Summit, then-finance minister Tonio Fenech had explained ongoing steps to reduce the sulphur content of the fuel oil burned in Malta. Up until 2003, the power plants in Marsa and Delimara burned 3.5%S fuel oil, after which it went down to 2%S fuel oil. In 2004, a shift was made to 1%S fuel oil and in May 2008 the Delimara power station shifted to 0.7%S fuel oil. The government had declared that as early as August 2010, both power plants would be burning 0.7%S fuel oil. But documents presented by Labour MP Justyne Caruana during the PAC meeting on Monday evening proved otherwise. As recently as 2011, Enemalta purchased fuel oil from Trafigura, the sulphur content of which was extremely close to 1%. According to tests carried out by Saybolt – a company that services Documents presented by Justyne Caruana reveal that as recently as 2011, Enemalta purchased fuel oil from Trafigura, the sulphur content of which was extremely close to 1% the energy industry with laboratory analyses – the level of sulphur content found in the fuel oil sampled was 0.985%. In the case of sodium, which according to tender specifications should have been 40ppm, reached 55ppm. While sodium can cause fouling deposits in the combustion chamber and has an erosive effect on the burner tips, several scientific studies have linked exposures of sulphur dioxide with respiratory illnesses and increase of asthma in children and the elderly. The August 2011 analyses report confirmed that both sulphur and sodium levels were out of the prescribed specification. During the PAC meeting, Philip Precluded from participating in MEPA decisions With three members declaring a conflict of interest, only seven appointed board members – mostly government employees – will be participating in the decisionmaking process CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 GEM Holdings brings together the Gasan Group, Tumas Group and CP Holdings Limited, of which Apap Bologna is a shareholder. The other member of the consortium is SOCAR, a company owned by the government of Azerbaijan, London-based company Gasol and German multinational Siemens. Apap Bologna was described as a "director of an import company" when the new MEPA board was announced by the new government in April. A MEPA spokesperson confirmed that on 15 May 2013, board member Paul Apap Bologna officially notified MEPA Chairman Vince Cassar that one of the companies of which he is a shareholder formed part of the consortium tendering for the construction and operation of the new power station. "He requested that should the consortium's application be shortlisted and have to appear in front of the MEPA board, there will be an obvious conflict of interest." In view of this, he asked to be excused from any sittings related to this project. The MEPA spokesperson added that to date the board had not held any discussions or taken any decisions "in relation to the infrastructure of the new power station". Moreover, two MEPA board members – biologist and marine pollution expert Prof. Victor Axiak and underwater archaeology expert Timothy Gambin – will be precluded from participating in board decisions on the issue, due Borg explained that content variations could occur due to a change in environment and he insisted that chemical contents varied according to the place they would be stored. However, the 2011 report referred to a sample of fuel oil taken onboard the ship on departure. In other words, the fuel consignment had not yet been transferred to Enemalta. Despite the chemical content variations, tantamount to breach of EU directives, Borg said he could not satisfy the MPs' questions as to why such consignments were accepted and not returned back. "These were the electricity division's responsibility and any questions should be referred to them," he said, while admitting he received the test results nonetheless. Households spend less on fruit and veg, more on fish and sweets Compared to 2011, there was a 10.1% drop in fruit consumption in 2012 and a 3.2% increase for sugar, jam, honey, chocolate and confectionery items Victor Axiak to their roles as consultants in the EIA for the new plant. It is normal practice that board members do not participate in decisions over projects in which they are involved as expert consultants. But in this case, the MEPA board will find itself deprived of the expertise of its two most knowledgeable experts on the Delimara gas plant and terminal's impact on the marine environment. This particular issue was expected to be one of the most controversial of the new power plant, due to the dredging works required to construct a jetty and the potential of storing gas on a ship berthed to the jetty. With three members declaring a conflict of interest, only seven appointed board members – mostly government employees – will be participating in the decisionmaking process. Apart from these seven appointed members, the board also includes two MPs, the chairman and the two deputy chairpersons. jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt LAST year, the final household consumption expenditure on food in the domestic market was estimated at €611 million. The 2012 estimated food expenditure declined by 2.2 per cent, as compared to 2011. The share of household expenditure on food was estimated at 12.8 per cent of total private final expenditure in the domestic market in 2012. Compared to 2011, there was a decrease last year in household spending on most food items, ranging from a 0.2 per cent decline for vegetables to a 10.1 per cent drop for fruit. On the other hand, an increase of 9.2 per cent was registered in the household expenditure for fish and an increase of 3.2 per cent for sugar, jam, honey, chocolate and confectionery items. Last year, food inflation, measured on the basis of the 12-month moving average rate, was 4.7 per cent, while the annual rate was 6 per cent. Food prices were higher, mainly in respect of sugar, vegetables, eggs, fish and meat. The latest figures for 2012 put the value of imported foodstuffs at €496 million, an increase of 15 per cent, as compared to 2011. An increase was recorded in most food products, mainly fish (+80.2 per cent) and cereals (+30.2 per cent). Malta's food exports advanced by 38.4 per cent, to an estimated value of €180 million, as compared to 2011. This was mainly due to an increase in the exports of fish and cereals, by 181.8 and 150.9 per cent, respectively.