Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/421389
MIRIAM DALLI THE fuel depot in Birzebbugia will be closed down for good after a gov- ernment decision to relocate the oil products stored in Birzebbugia to existing underground facilities in Has Saptan. Addressing a public consultation meeting in the series 'A Govern- ment that Listens', Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi confirmed that the government has opted for a change of use of the existing underground storage tanks which are currently leased to third parties. "Although these short-term con- tracts, for storage of oil to be used elsewhere, do leave a profit, we be- lieve that the residents' health and environmental considerations are of the utmost priority. So while En- emed will lose revenue currently derived from the Has Saptan tanks, the change of use will allow the clo- sure of the depot once and for all," Mizzi said. Enemed is a new government com- pany set up to manage the former Petroleum Division at Enemalta, which was carved out from Enemal- ta plc. He said that the closing down of the fuel depot forms part of the gov- ernment's programme to regenerate the south of Malta along with the closure of the Marsa power station, the closure of Delimara Plant 1 and the dismantling of the chimney at the Delimara power station. "Birzebbugia residents have for far too long been promised the closure of the fuel depot. The underground tanks at Has Saptan will be refur- bished and upgraded with modern safety features and will be used to store oil products owned by En- emed," the minister said. Mizzi gave an assurance that the project will use existing infrastruc- ture and thus environmental issues will be avoided. He said that the previous administration's propos- als to build eight new tanks at Has Saptan and Kordin, next to MCAST, had been rejected by MEPA. The energy minister reiterated that the industry will next year benefit from a 25% cut in energy bills while the investment by Chinese-state owned company Shanghai Electric Power will help in the tariffs reduc- tion and increase efficiency. Reiterating that the government would soon announce the time- frame of the construction of the new power station, Mizzi said the Chinese's €320 million investment was necessary to improve Enemal- ta's sustainability and long-term vi- sion. "We now have an interlocking agreement [between Enemalta, ElectroGas and SEP] that will en- sure security of supply and f lex- ibility on how to purchase energy," Mizzi said. Health parliamentary secretary Chris Fearne said the government was addressing hospital waiting lists, where the lists for MRI had been brought down from two years to under six months; ECG tests from a three-year wait to one year, while angiogram tests are conducted within a week instead of two years. The list of out of stock medicines available in the Pharmacy of Your Choice scheme went down from over 120 to just five, Fearne said. He also announced that a new agreement had been reached with health professionals to extend oper- ating theatre hours to 8pm and dur- ing the weekend. maltatoday, SUNDAY, 23 NOVEMBER 2014 News Birzebbugia fuel depot to relocate to Has Saptan People you can trust Atlas Healthcare Insurance Agency Limited is authorized under the Insurance Intermediaries Act 2006, to act as agents for AXA PPP Healthcare Limited and is regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority. The policies are underwritten by AXA PPP Healthcare Limited. Atlas Healthcare Insurance Agency Limited (Agents) Abate Rigord Street, Ta' Xbiex XBX 1121 Tel: 21 322 600 | Fax: 21 322 599 | email: health@atlas.com.mt Do something positive instead Subscribe online to the Atlas Healthcare Value Plus Policy Full refunds on the benefits you really need at a price you can afford atlas.com.mt How to waste a good 5 minutes Re-reading your Facebook wall Sipping your third (or fourth) coffee Browsing YouTube for cat videos Gossiping with friends about friends Energy and health minister Konrad Mizzi (left) and parliamentary secretary Chris Fearne (Photo: Ray Attard)