Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/361046
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 10 AUGUST 2014 3 News Enemalta applies to dismantle Marsa power station JAMES DEBONO A landmark planning application to decommission, dismantle and demol- ish the Marsa power station has been presented by Enemalta Corporation to the Malta Environment and Planning Authority. Along with traffic the Marsa power plant is considered to be a leading source of air pollution in the country. But no details were given by En- emalta on the envisaged timeframe for the decommissioning of the power station and on future use and owner- ship of the site after the powerhouse is dismantled. Contacted by MaltaToday, an En- emalta spokesperson replied that further details on the decommission- ing will be announced in the coming months. The spokesperson confirmed that the Ministry for Energy and Health has asked Enemalta to plan and implement the closure of the Marsa power station in line with government policy. "Earlier this year, Enemalta started the necessary preparations for the de- commissioning and dismantling of the Marsa power station to pave the way for the planned regeneration of this harbour area." Although an initial application for these works has been recently submit- ted to MEPA, plans for the power sta- tion's dismantling and demolition are still being concluded by Enemalta's architects and engineers. Further details of the decommis- sioning plan will be announced in the coming months. "Enemalta reiterates its commitment to phase out its older power plants and shift to a more efficient, more sustain- able and eco-friendly electricity gen- eration mix". The Marsa power station, which was installed in the galleries excavated at the base of Jesuits Hill, in Marsa, was inaugurated on 5 December, 1953. A commitment to close the Marsa power station was first made by the newly elected PN government in 1987 following its decision to construct a new power station in Delimara but this promise was made amidst protests by environmentalists on the impact of the new power station on the quaint fishing village. In 2011 MEPA confirmed that the Marsa power station was the likely source of the black dust problem in neighbouring towns. Plans for the regeneration of the Grand Harbour presented in 2007 also envisaged transforming the area occupied by the Marsa power station by a public garden by 2015. The previ- ous administration was committed to close the power station after the inter- connector connecting Malta to Sicily came into place. An EIA for the new gas fired power plant states that emission targets for both nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and at- mospheric particulate matter (PM2.5) can be met "under the assumption of extensive use of the 'clean' electricity from both the interconnector and the gas-fired units at Delimara" and that energy demand does not exceed cur- rent levels. Fines imposed on Enemalta for the operation of the Marsa plant have reached around €2.5 million after the plant exceeded the 20,000-hour limit of operation imposed in EU directives in 2011. jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt The Marsa power station, inaugurated in 1953, is considered to be a leading source of air pollution in the country PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAY ATTARD €76,400 salary, €20,000 bonus for MTA chief MIRIAM DALLI PAUL Bugeja, the newly appointed chief executive officer at the Malta Tourism Authority, will be earn- ing €76,400 a year together with a €20,000 performance bonus. The figures were confirmed by a spokeswoman for the Ministry for Tourism. Contacted by MaltaToday, the Ministry confirmed that Bugeja – outgoing president of the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association – will be earning the €76,400 salary, payable monthly in arrears. The performance bonus, capped at €20,000, will be given "if the CEO reaches his targets". These targets, the spokeswoman said, will be set annually by the MTA board, in con- sultation with the CEO. Bugeja will also enjoy a fully-serv- iced car with a maximum retail price of €19,800 and use of car and driver when on official business. "Bugeja's financial package is on the lines of his predecessor, Josef Formosa Gauci," the ministry add- ed. MaltaToday broke news of Buge- ja's appointment as MTA CEO on Tuesday while he was confirmed as the authority's new CEO on Thurs- day by the MTA board. The new CEO was head-hunted by Tourism Minister Edward Zam- mit Lewis after Formosa Gauci, who led the MTA for six years, tendered his resignation. To take up the new job, Bugeja will be leaving his post as MHRA president and chief financial officer at Corinthia Group. In comments to MaltaToday, Zammit Lewis said he wanted the CEO to be a person accepted by the industry. "Being a small coun- try, there is always a limited pool of experts from whom to choose. I wanted someone who is accepted by the industry, but who is non-politi- cal... None better than the president of the biggest non-governmental organisation of the sector," the min- ister said. Zammit Lewis added that Bugeja was a person of integrity and highly competent for the job "who will not allow his past profession to interfere with his new role or influence his decisions". There exists a harmonious consen- sus between the tourism regulator and the industry, and the authority, which also serves as a watchdog, is more of an interlocutor between the government and the industry. The MTA board itself is composed of representatives of the industry.