€350 million for energy price stability to keep supporting families and businesses
In 2024, the Government is investing €188 million to reinforce the country’s electricity infrastructure and to speed up the energy transition. This allocation is over and above the €350 million investment in continued stability in energy and fuel prices for families and businesses.
Minister for the Environment, Energy and Enterprise Miriam Dalli explained the 2024 Budget projects and incentives in the energy sector during a press conference in the tunnels of the old Marsa Power Station. Through Interconnect Malta and International Energy Service Centre (IESC), the Energy Ministry is planning to utilise this site for an innovative grid-scale battery storage project, to maximise the potential of existing and future renewable energy investments and improve security of supply.
Next year, €5 out of every €100 in Government expenditure will be channelled to energy and fuel price stability for families and businesses. “This stability is one of the reasons why Malta’s economic growth is expected to be 10 times stronger than the EU average next year. It is also one of the Government’s principal social incentives. A family of four whose annual electricity consumption is €695 would have to pay €1,300 without this Government support,” Minister Miriam Dalli said.
The Government is allocating €55 million in national and EU funds to strengthen the country’s energy infrastructure, one of the highest budgets ever allocated to this sector. Most of this investment will go for the reinforcement of the electricity distribution system, with new distribution centres, new substations and new cable connections, to increase the network’s capacity, resilience and flexibility.
Minister Dalli explained that Enemalta is in the process of issuing a call for tenders for a new €14 million distribution centre to improve electricity services in Naxxar, Iklin, Għargħur, Mosta and nearby areas. A similar investment is being planned in Siggiewi, to consolidate the network in this part of Malta, including Zurrieq, Qrendi, Mqabba and other areas. Many other projects are also being planned to reinforce the network across Malta and Gozo.
Enemalta is also investing in temporary additional spare capacity to ensure security of supply until upcoming investments in new green energy sources are commissioned in the coming years. The Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project in Marsa and Delimara will help to overcome the intermittency challenges of a greater share of renewables.
Beyond this investment in electricity infrastructure, the Energy Ministry is also allocating another €133 million to empower the transition to a decarbonised energy sector. In 2024, Interconnect Malta is issuing the first call for large-scale offshore renewable energy projects in Maltese waters. Preparations for the second Malta-Italy Interconnector project (IC2) are also advancing rapidly. Through the Regulator for Water and Energy Services and other entities, the Government is extending several schemes to incentivise families and enterprises to adopt green energy technologies, such as grants for the installation of PV panels, solar water heaters and heat pumps, and feed-in tariff schemes for investments in larger renewables.
Minister Dalli also explained that the Water Services Corporation is investing €315 million in several projects that will be completed in the next few years, including the upgrading of its reverse osmosis plants to boost their output, 50 kilometres of water distribution pipelines and the extension of the New Water network for the agricultural sector.
“We are investing heavily in the sustainability, innovation and resilience of our country’s utilities. This investment is an integral part of our vision for a just and sustainable future at all levels of our social and economic development,” the Minister concluded.
Representatives of ARMS, Enemalta, the Energy and Water Agency, Enemed, Interconnect Malta, International Energy Service Centre (IESC), Petromal, the Regulator for Water and Energy Services and WasteServ participated in this press conference.
€188 miljun f’investimenti fl-infrastruttura tal-elettriku u t-tranżizzjoni lejn enerġija nadifa
€350 miljun għall-istabbiltà tal-prezzijiet tal-enerġija biex inkomplu nappoġġjaw lill-familji u n-negozji
Għas-sena 2024, il-Gvern qed jinvesti €188 miljun biex issaħħaħ l-infrastruttura tal-elettriku tal-pajjiż u biex titħaffef it-tranżizzjoni lejn enerġija sostenibbli. Din l-allokazzjoni ma tinkludix l-investiment ta’ €350 miljun sabiex il-Gvern ikompli jagħti stabbiltà fil-prezzijiet tal-enerġija u tal-fjuwils għall-familji u n-negozji.
Il-Ministru għall-Ambjent, l-Enerġija u l-Intrapriża Miriam Dalli spjegat il-proġetti u l-inċentivi tal-Budget 2024 fis-settur tal-enerġija waqt konferenza tal-aħbarijiet fil-mini tal-power station l-antika tal-Marsa. Permezz ta’ InterConnect Malta u l-International Energy Service Centre (IESC), il-Ministeru tal-Enerġija qed jippjana li juża dan is-sit għall-proġett innovattiv ta’ ħażna ta’ enerġija bil-batteriji fuq skala kbira, biex jimmassimizza l-potenzjal tal-investimenti eżistenti u futuri fl-enerġija rinnovabbli u jtejjeb is-sigurtà tal-provvista.
Is-sena d-dieħla, €5 minn kull €100 tan-nefqa tal-Gvern se jiġu allokati għall-istabbilita tal-prezzijiet tal-fjuwils u l-enerġija għall-familji u n-negozji. “Din l-istabbiltà hija waħda mir-raġunijiet għalfejn it-tkabbir ekonomiku ta’ Malta mistenni jikber għaxar darbiet aktar mill-medja Ewropea s-sena d-dieħla. Hija wkoll waħda mill-inċentivi soċjali ewlenin tal-Gvern. Familja ta’ erbgħa li l-konsum annwali tagħha huwa ta’ €695 kien ikollha tħallas €1,300 mingħajr dan l-appoġġ tal-Gvern,” qalet il-Ministru Miriam Dalli.
Il-Gvern qed jalloka €55 miljun f’fondi nazzjonali u tal-UE biex tissaħħaħ l-infrastruttura tal-enerġija tal-pajjiż, wieħed mill-ogħla budgets li qatt ġew allokati għal dan is-settur. Il-biċċa l-kbira ta’ dan l-investiment se jmur għat-tisħiħ tas-sistema tad-distribuzzjoni tal-elettriku, b’ċentri tad-distribuzzjoni ġodda, substations ġodda u konnessjonijiet ta’ cables ġodda, biex tiżdied il-kapaċità, ir-reżiljenzà u l-flessibilità tas-sistema li twassal l-elettriku lill-klijenti.
Il-Ministru Dalli spjegat kif Enemalta se tiftaħ sejħa għal tender ta’ €14 miljun għal ċentru ta’ distribuzzjoni ġdid, li se jtejjeb is-servizzi tal-elettriku fin-Naxxar, l-Iklin, il-Għargħur, il-Mosta u l-lokalitajiet tal-madwar. Investiment simili huwa ppjanat fis-Siġġiewi, biex jikkonsolida n-network f’dawn l-akwati, inkluż iż-Żurrieq, il-Qrendi, l-Imqabba u nħawi oħra viċin. Aktar proġetti ta’ rinfurzar tan-network huma ppjanati madwar Malta u Għawdex.
Enemalta qed tinvesti wkoll f’kapaċità addizzjonali temporanja biex tiżgura sigurtà tal-provvista sakemm jibdew joperaw proġetti oħrajn fil-qasam ta’ enerġija nadifa fis-snin li ġejjin. Il-proġett Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) fil-Marsa u Delimara se jkun qed jgħin biex tegħleb l-isfidi tal-intermittenza hekk kif is-sehem tas-sorsi tal-enerġiji rinnovabbli fit-taħlita tas-sorsi tal-pajjiż tkompli tiżdied.
Barra minn dan l-investiment fl-infrastruttura tal-elettriku, il-Ministeru tal-Enerġija qed jalloka €133 miljun oħra biex iħeġġeġ it-tranżizzjoni lejn settur tal-enerġija dekarbonizzat. Fl-2024, Interconnect Malta se toħroġ l-ewwel sejħa għal proġetti ta’ enerġija rinnovabbli offshore fuq skala kbira fl-ibħra Maltin. It-tħejjijiet għat-tieni Interconnector bejn Malta u l-Italja (IC2) għaddej b’ritmu mgħaġġel. Permezz tar-Regolatur għas-Servizzi tal-Ilma u l-Enerġija u entitajiet oħra, il-Gvern se jestendi diversi skemi biex jinċentiva lill-familji u l-intrapriżi biex jaddottaw aktar teknoloġiji li jaħdmu b’enerġija nadifa, bħal għotjiet għal installazzjoni ta’ pannelli fotovoltajiċi, solar water heaters u heat pumps, u skemi ta’ feed-in-tariff għal sistemi t’enerġija rinnovabbli fuq skala akbar.
Il-Ministru Dalli spjegat ukoll kif il-Korporazzjoni għas-Servizzi tal-Ilma qed tinvesti €315 miljun fuq diversi proġetti li se jitlestew fis-snin li ġejjin. Dawn jinkludu tisħiħ tal-impjanti tar-reverese osmosis biex iżidu l-produzzjoni tagħhom, 50 kilometru ta’ pajpijiet tad-distribuzzjoni tal-ilma u l-estensjoni tan-network tan-New Water għas-settur agrikolu.
“Qed ninvestu ħafna fuq is-sostenibbilità, l-innovazzjoni u r-reżiljenza tas-setturi tal-ilma u l-enerġija f’pajjiżna. Dan l-investiment huwa parti integrali mil-viżjoni tagħna lejn futur sostenibbli u ġust fuq kull livell tal-iżvilupp soċjali u ekonomiku tagħna,” ikkonkludiet il-Ministru.
Rappreżentanti minn ARMS, Enemalta, l-Aġenzija għall-Enerġija u l-Ilma, Enemed, Interconnect Malta, International Energy Service Centre (IESC), Petromal, ir-Regolatur għas-Servizzi tal-Ilma u l-Enerġija u WasteServ ħadu sehem f’din il-konferenza tal-aħbarijiet.