English Version:
€1 million project to reinforce electricity supply in Baħrija and surroundings
Around 670 families and businesses in Baħrija and its surrounding areas will be benefitting from a new distribution system to reinforce the electricity infrastructure and improve the service Enemalta provides to its clients.
The investment is composed of two phases: in the first phase, a two-kilometre 11KV cable has been laid against a €400,000 investment replacing overhead lines. As the old infrastructure was exposed to natural elements, residents were experiencing several issues with their electricity supply, particularly during the winter months. Over the past few months, a team of engineers and technicians from Enemalta conducted several studies to address this issue.
In the interim, Enemalta implemented several intermediary measures to minimise the inconvenience experienced by Baħrija residents.
In the second phase, with an investment of €600,000, Enemalta is modernising a number of substations and connecting new lines to ensure a more stable supply for Baħrija residents and businesses.
“Enemalta is committed to continue strengthening the electricity distribution system in our country, and this project is one in a series of projects that Enemalta has embarked on as part of its ambitious five-year plan,” Minister Miriam Dalli said.
“This investment is also required in view of a continuous increase in electricity demand. Despite the pandemic, last year Enemalta installed more than 10,200 new services for families and businesses. The demand for new services has nearly doubled since 2013, when the demand for new services amounted to just over 5,000.”
Chairman Ing. Jonathan Scerri explained how Enemalta was focusing on improving its network service, so much so that projects concerning several communities are being fast tracked. This follows a detailed grid analysis carried out by engineers.
“This programme of works provides different solutions for different localities, with one goal, that of reinforcing the electricity distribution system. For example, in Dingli, a low voltage regulator has been installed. In Qrendi, over the past week several kilometres of cables in various roads were replaced. Other works aimed at reinforcing our distribution system were done in Siġġiewi, Żurrieq, Luqa, Żebbuġ and Mosta. Reinforcement works are being done or are planned in other localities such as Għajnsielem, Marsascala and Kalkara. Additionally, other capital investments in substations and distribution centre will help in addressing the increased demand Malta and Gozo are experiencing every year.”
Addressing the press conference, Rabat Mayor Sandro Craus explained how despite the population growth in the area, Baħrija had been abandoned for years. Up until 2013, the Local Council’s request for investments in the area had fallen on deaf ears, he said.
“Up until 2013, there was no water drainage system. This was done in the first legislature of the Labour government, which invested millions to have all families connected to a common drainage system. Now, this investment by Enemalta to modernise the electricity infrastructural system is another important step for the residents,” Mr Craus said.
Maltese Version:
Investiment ta’ miljun ewro biex tissaħħaħ il-provvista tal-elettriku fil-Baħrija u l-madwar
Mas-670 familja u negozji fil-Baħrija u l-madwar se jkunu qed igawdu minn sistema ġdida ta’ provvista tal- elettriku, fi proġett li għandu l-għan li jsaħħaħ l-infrastruttura u jtejjeb il-kwalità tas-servizz lill-klijenti tal- Enemalta.
Dan l-investiment huwa maqsum f’żewġ fażijiet: fl-ewwel fażi, b’investiment ta’ €400,000, tpoġġa taħt l-art cable ta’ 11KV fuq medda ta’ kważi żewġ kilometri. Dan se jieħu post il-linji li bħalissa jinsabu għaddejjin fuq l-arbli. Minħabba li din l-infrastruttura hi esposta għall-elementi tan-natura, ir-residenti kienu qed jesperjenzaw interruzzjonijiet fil-provvista tal-elettriku, speċjalment fit-temp xitwi. Fl-aħħar xhur, l-inġiniera tal-Enemalta wettqu numru ta’ studji biex jindirizzaw din il-problema.
Fl-interim, l-Enemalta implimentat diversi miżuri intermedjarji biex kemm jista’ jkun jitnaqqas l-inkonvenjent għar-residenti tal-lokalità tal-Baħrija.
Fit-tieni fażi ta’ dan il-proġett, b’investiment ta’ madwar €600,000, l-Enemalta qed timmodernizza numru ta’ substations li jissupplixxu l-provvista tal-elettriku lil din il-komunità, inkluż bi tqegħid ta’ linji ġodda. Dan se jiżgura aktar stabbilità fil-provvista tal-elettriku għar-residenti u n-negozji tal-Baħrija.
“L-Enemalta hija impenjata li tkompli ssaħħaħ is-sistema ta’ distribuzzjoni f’pajjiżna. Dan il-proġett huwa wieħed minn sensiela ta’ proġetti li l-Enemalta qed taħdem fuqhom bħalissa bħala parti minn pjan ambizzjuż ta’ ħames snin,” saħħqet il-Ministru Miriam Dalli.
“Dan l-investiment huwa meħtieġ anke fid-dawl taż-żieda kontinwa fid-domanda għall-elettriku. Biżżejjed jingħad li s-sena li għaddiet, minkejja l-pandemija, iI-ħaddiema tal-Enemalta taw aktar minn 10,200 servizz ġdid lil familji u negozji. Dan huwa kważi d-doppju tas-servizz li kienu ngħataw fl-2013 meta kienu ngħataw ftit aktar minn 5,000 servizz.”
Ic-chairman tal-Enemalta l-Inġ. Jonathan Scerri qal li bħalissa qed tingħata spinta lil dawn ix-xogħlijiet li jaffettwaw diversi komunitajiet. Dan qed isir wara analiżi dettaljata li l-inġiniera tal-Enemalta għamlu biex jaraw il-ħtiġijiet tal-grid biex jingħata l-aħjar servizz lill-klijenti tal-Enemalta.
“Dan il-programm ta’ xogħlijiet jipprovdi soluzzjonijiet differenti f’lokalitajiet differenti iżda b’għan komuni li tiġi rinfurzata s-sistema tad-distribuzzjoni tal-elettriku. Per eżempju, f’Ħad-Dingli tpoġġa low voltage regulator. Fil-Qrendi, matul il-ġimgħa li għaddiet, tbiddlu kilometri ta’ wires f’diversi toroq. Xogħol ieħor għat-tisħiħ tas- sistema tad-distribuzzjoni sar fost oħrajn fis-Siġġiewi, fiż-Żurrieq, f’Ħal Luqa, f’Ħaż-Żebbuġ u l-Mosta. F’lokalitajiet oħrajn bħal Għajnsielem, Wied il-Għajn u l-Kalkara għaddej, jew se jibda, xogħol ta’ rinfurzar. Dan minbarra investimenti kapitali oħra li jinkludu substations ġodda u t-tkabbir taċ-Ċentru tad-Distribuzzjoni biex jipprovdu għaż-żieda fid-domanda li l-pajjiż qed ikollu sena wara sena.”
Is-Sindku tar-Rabat Sandro Craus qal li l-Baħrija kienet ilha snin mitluqa minkejja li l-komunità tal-Baħrija qed tkompli tikber, u li sal-2013 it-talbiet persistenti tal-kunsill tar-Rabat biex isiru x-xogħlijiet ma kinux jingħataw widen.
“Sa qabel l-2013, lanqas sistema ta’ drenaġġ ma kien hemm. Din saret fl-ewwel leġislatura tal-gvern Laburista, li investa l-miljuni sabiex kull familja tkun imqabbda ma’ sistema ta’ drenaġġ komuni. L-investiment li qed tagħmel l-Enemalta biex timmodernizza s-sistema infrastrutturali tal-elettriku huwa pass importanti ieħor għar- residenti,” qal is-Sur Craus