Investiment rekord ta’ €6.5 miljun fil-grid tal-elettriku biex tissaħħaħ id-distribuzzjoni
Konnessjoni ġdida taħt l-art ta’ 132kV se żżid il-kapaċità taċ-ċentru tad-distribuzzjoni tal-Mosta b’25% – l-ikbar investiment f’network ta’ vultaġġ għoli fl-aħħar snin
Għaddejjin b’ritmu tajjeb ix-xogħlijiet fuq wieħed mill-ikbar investimenti infrastrutturali li saru mill-Enemalta f’dawn l-aħħar snin. Il-proġett jikkonsisti f’konnessjoni ġdida taħt l-art ta’ 132kV li se tgħaqqad flimkien it-Terminal tal-Interconnector fil-Magħtab maċ-Ċentru tad-Distribuzzjoni tal-Mosta.
Dan il-proġett jifforma parti kruċjali mill-isforzi tal-Enemalta biex jiġu kkonsolidati u msaħħa l-konnessjonijiet ewlenin tal-Interconnector bejn Malta u Sqallija u n-network tad-distribuzzjoni lokali tal-elettriku.
Il-Ministru għall-Ambjent u l-Enerġija Miriam Dalli, il-Ministru għall-Fondi Ewropej Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, u ċ-Chairman Eżekuttiv tal-Enemalta Inġ. Ryan Fava żaru s-sit tal-proġett biex jaraw mill-qrib il-progress tax-xogħlijiet li għaddejjin bħalissa.
B’investiment ta’ €6.5 miljun, qed jiżdied cable ġdid ta’ 11-il kilometru b’vultaġġ għoli fin-network eżistenti tal-Enemalta u b’hekk, se jespandi l-kapaċità ġenerali tat-trażmissjoni tal-elettriku waqt li se jsaħħaħ u jtejjeb l-flessibbiltà tan-network nazzjonali. Meta jitlesta, il-proġett se jżid madwar 140MW tal-kapaċità fiċ-ċentru tad-Distribuzzjoni tal-Mosta li jfisser żieda ta’ 25% tal-kapaċità totali f’dan iċ-ċentru.
Dan il-proġett jirrappreżenta tisħiħ strateġiku tal-infrastruttura tal-elettriku f’Malta li se ssaħħaħ is-sigurtà tal-enerġija f’pajjiżna. Il-konnessjoni l-ġdida se tipprovdi aktar flessibbiltà operattiva fil-mod kif l-elettriku jgħaddi min-network, tnaqqas il-vulnerabbiltà meta jinqalgħu l-ħsarat u tippermetti li tintlaħaq aħjar id-domanda tal-lum u ta’ għada.
L-aħħar darba li l-Enemalta estendiet in-network tagħha ta’ 132 kV kien fl-2016 meta f’dik is-sena, saret konnessjoni ta’ madwar 2 kilometri bejn iċ-Ċentri tad-Distribuzzjoni ta’ Ħal Qormi u Marsa North. Il-proġett attwali, li jkopri 11-il kilometru, jirrappreżenta żieda ta’ ħames darbiet mill-aħħar proġett.
Hekk kif Malta qed tkompli ssaħħaħ is-settur tal-enerġija, anke permezz tal-Interconnector bejn Malta u Sqallija, investimenti ta’ din ix-xorta huma essenzjali sabiex ikun żgurat li l-network nazzjonali tal-elettriku jiflaħ biżżejjed il-ħtiġijiet attwali kif ukoll id-domanda dejjem tikber għall-futur.
“Meta tħares fejn kien in-network tal-enerġija ta’ Malta għaxar snin ilu u fejn jinsab illum, it-trasformazzjoni hija waħda kbira ħafna – iżda fadal iktar xogħol xi jsir. Il-konnessjoni ta’ 132kV li qed nibnu hija bla dubju waħda mill-aktar inizjattivi importanti. Mingħajr network b’saħħtu li kapaċi jiflaħ għal domandi akbar ta’ elettriku minħabba ekonomija li qed tikber, l-ebda waħda mill-ambizzjonijiet tagħna ma jista’ tintlaħaq. Dan il-proġett iżid 140MW tal-kapaċità taċ-Ċentru ta’ Distribuzzjoni fil-Mosta. Mhux biss qed nibnu biss għall-bżonnijiet tal-lum, iżda wkoll għal għada,” qalet il-Ministru Miriam Dalli.
Il-Ministru Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi sostna li dan il-proġett jirrifletti l-ħidma u l-użu għaqli ta’ fondi Ewropej biex jissaħħu infrastrutturi essenzjali għall-pajjiż u biex jinħolqu pedamenti aktar sodi għall-iżvilupp ekonomiku u sostenibbli tal-ġejjieni. Huwa spjega li investimenti bħal dawn mhux biss itejbu l-effiċjenza u l-affidabbiltà tan-network tal-elettriku, iżda jagħtu wkoll aktar stabbiltà lill-familji u lin-negozji: “Grazzi għall-appoġġ ta’ fondi Ewropej qed nassiguraw li l-provvista tal-elettriku ta’ pajjiżna tibqa’ waħda effiċjenti u sostenibbli mhux biss għall-preżent, iżda anke għall-futur.”
L-Inġ. Ryan Fava qal, “Ħdax-il kilometru ta’ cable taħt l-art għal vultaġġ għoli mhuwiex proġett żgħir – la f’termini ta’ inġinerija, la loġistika, u lanqas investiment. Dak li jagħmel dan il-proġett partikolarment sinifikanti mhuwiex biss l-iskala tiegħu, iżda kif se jibdel il-mod kif inħaddmu n-network. Bħalissa, il-konnessjonijiet bejn l-Interconnector Malta-Italja u s-sistema tagħna ta’ distribuzzjoni għandhom il-limiti tagħhom. Dan il-proġett se jelimina numru ta’ limitazzjonijiet billi se jagħti lill-operaturi tan-network aktar flessibbiltà fil-mod kif titqassam l-enerġija, soluzzjonijiet iktar effettivi f’każ li tinqala’ ħsara u aktar kapaċità ġenerali meta d-domanda fuq in-network qed tkompli tiżdied.”
Landmark €6.5 million grid upgrade to strengthen Malta’s energy backbone underway
New 132kV underground link to boost capacity of the Mosta Distribution Centre by 25% marks most significant extension of Malta’s high-voltage network in recent years
Works are well underway on one of Enemalta’s most significant infrastructure investments in recent years – a new 132-kilovolt underground cable link connecting the Maghtab Interconnector Terminal to the Mosta Distribution Centre.
The project forms a critical part in consolidating and strengthening the principal connections between the Malta-Italy Interconnector and Malta’s local electricity distribution network.
Minister for the Environment, Energy and Public Cleanliness Miriam Dalli, Minister for European Funds and the Implementation of the Electoral Programme Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, and Enemalta Executive Chairperson Ing. Ryan Fava visited the project site to observe progress firsthand.
The €6.5 million investment will introduce an additional 11 kilometres of high-voltage cable into Enemalta’s existing network, expanding overall transmission capacity and significantly improving the flexibility and redundancy of the national grid. Upon completion, the project will deliver an additional capacity of approximately 140MW from the interconnector into the Mosta distribution centre – representing a 25% increase in capacity for this DC.
This upgrade is a strategic reinforcement of the infrastructure underpinning Malta’s energy security. The new link will provide greater operational flexibility in how electricity is routed across the network, reduce vulnerability to single points of failure, and better accommodate the growing demands placed on the system.
The scale of this undertaking places it in a league of its own when compared to previous upgrades. The last time Enemalta extended its 132-kilovolt network was back in 2016, when a link of approximately 2 kilometres was laid between the Qormi and Marsa North Distribution Centres. The current project, spanning 11 kilometres, represents a fivefold increase in scope.
As Malta continues to develop its energy landscape – including through its interconnection with the European grid via the Malta-Italy Interconnector – investments of this nature are essential to ensuring the national network can reliably support both current needs and future growth.
“When you look at where Malta’s energy network stood a decade ago and where it stands today, the transformation is remarkable – but the work is far from over. The 132-kilovolt link we are building is one the most important investments we are doing. Without a transmission network that can handle increased loads, reroute power when needed, and absorb the pressures of a growing economy, none of the energy ambitions we have set for Malta would be achievable. This project provides the possibility of delivering significant capacity to the Mosta Distribution centre. We are not building for today’s demand but are also building for tomorrow,” Minister Miriam Dalli stated.
Minister Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi stated that this project reflects the work carried out and the prudent use of European funds to strengthen infrastructure that is essential for the country and to create firmer foundations for future economic and sustainable development. He explained that investments of this kind not only improve the efficiency and reliability of the electricity network but also provide greater stability for families and businesses: “thanks to the support of European funds, we are ensuring that our country’s electricity supply remains efficient and sustainable not only for the present, but also for the future.”
Ing. Ryan Fava stated that, “Eleven kilometres of high-voltage cable running underground across Malta is no small undertaking – in terms of engineering, logistics, or investment. What makes this project particularly significant is not just the scale, but what it actually changes about how we operate the network. Right now, the connections between the Malta-Italy Interconnector and our distribution system have limitations. This link removes a number of those constraints. It gives our network operators more flexibility in how they route power, more redundancy if something goes wrong, and more overall capacity at a time when demand on the grid is only going in one direction.”