Malta’s continued increase in electricity generation from renewable energy sources reaffirms the government’s commitment to continue supporting more green investments in this sector to achieve its decarbonisation objectives as soon as possible.
In 2022, Malta registered a 221MW installed capacity of grid-connected photovoltaic systems, generating electricity to power more than 80,730 homes with clean energy. This resulted in a reduction of carbon dioxide emissions by more than 134,700 tonnes. When compared to the previous year, this represents an improvement of 8.3%. Around half of this green energy was generated by the commercial sector, closely followed by the domestic and public sectors. During the same year, Malta saw the successful implementation of solar water heaters in 525 residences. This resulted in a significant decrease in electricity consumption for water heating, with a total grant amounting to €716,390. Heat pumps were installed in 99 buildings, providing efficient heating and cooling solutions while reducing reliance on traditional energy sources. This resulted in a total grant amounting to €92,218. The year 2022 also registered a record-breaking total of 516 applications for household battery storage systems.
Minister for the Environment, Energy, and Enterprise Miriam Dalli welcomed this promising improvement as the government embarks on more ambitious initiatives to continue increasing the share of renewables in Malta’s energy mix. “These figures coincide with this week’s announcement that the European Commission confirmed the EU support package for the implementation of Malta’s green energy plans. This confirmation galvanises the government’s ambition to continue facilitating more green investments in Malta”, Minister Dalli said.
By the end of 2021, Malta was producing 12.15% of its energy requirements from renewable sources, exceeding the 11.5% 2030 target established in the country’s National Energy and Climate Plan. “The government will continue building on these results with even greater initiatives to provide financial and technical support to this renewable energy transition”, Minister Miriam Dalli said.
“As we stated during the Med9 meeting of energy ministers, we are working to reach our energy objectives through a determined plan with actions at different levels, such as the consolidation of the national grid to accommodate more renewable energy systems, stronger support schemes for small, medium, and large photovoltaic systems by households and businesses, as well as new energy interconnections and large-scale battery storage systems to increase energy mix flexibility and tackle the challenges of renewable energy systems’ intermittency”, the minister said.
This month saw another two major announcements, namely the €47 million investment to develop two grid-scale battery energy storage systems at Delimara and Marsa, and the memorandum of understanding between Malta and Libya to explore the potential of new green energy interconnections between the two countries and mainland Europe. At the same time, Interconnect Malta is advancing the permitting and planning process for Interconnector 2, the second subsea electricity interconnector between Malta and Italy.
Aktar investiment fl-enerġija għat-tranżizzjoni lejn is-sostenibbiltà fil-klima
Iż-żieda kontinwa ta’ Malta fil-ġenerazzjoni tal-elettriku minn sorsi nodfa ta’ enerġija tikkonferma l-impenn tal-gvern li jkompli jappoġġa iżjed investimenti ħodor f’dan il-qasam biex niksbu l-miri tad-dekarbonizzazzjoni mill-aktar fis.
Fl-2022, Malta rreġistrat 221MW f’sistemi ta’ pannelli fotovoltajiċi mqabbda man-network tad-distribuzzjoni tal-elettriku nazzjonali, li flimkien qed jiġġeneraw elettriku għal 80,730 dar minn enerġija nadifa. Dan qed iwassal għal tnaqqis ta’ 134,700 tunellata ta’ tniġġis tad-diossidju tal-karbonju fl-arja. B’hekk, Malta rreġistrat żieda ta’ 8.3% f’sorsi ta’ enerġija rinnovabbli meta mqabbel mas-sena ta’ qabel. Madwar nofs din l-enerġija nadifa kienet iġġenerata mis-settur kummerċjali. Warajhom, b’ammonti simili, hemm is-sistemi tal-pannelli fi proprjetajiet residenzjali u pubbliċi.
Matul is-sena 2022, Malta rat ukoll l-installazzjoni ta’ solar water heaters f’525 dar. Dan ukoll qed iwassal għal tnaqqis kbir fil-konsum tal-elettriku meħtieġ biex jissaħħan l-ilma, b’appoġġ dirett mill-gvern ta’ €716,390. Ġew installati wkoll 99 heat pumps, b’sistemi li jsaħħnu u jkessħu b’effiċjenza filwaqt li jnaqqsu d-dipendenza fuq sorsi ta’ enerġija tradizzjonali. Dawn is-sistemi bbenefikaw minn €92,218 f’għajnuniet minn fondi pubbliċi. Fl-istess sena Malta rreġistrat ukoll rekord ta’ 516 applikazzjonijiet għall-installazzjoni ta’ sistemi ta’ batteriji għall-ħażna tal-elettriku minn sorsi ta’ enerġija rinnovabbli.
Il-Ministru għall-Ambjent, l-Enerġija u l-Intrapriża Miriam Dalli laqgħet dan it-titjib inkoraġġanti, hekk kif il-gvern qed iniedi diversi ħidmiet fuq inizjattivi iżjed ambizzjużi sabiex ikompli jżid is-sehem tal-enerġija nadifa fit-taħlita ta’ sorsi ta’ enerġija elettrika tal-pajjiż. “Dawn iċ-ċifri qed jitħabbru fl-istess ġimgħa li l-Kummissjoni Ewropea kkonfermat pakkett ta’ għajnuna f’fondi tal-Unjoni Ewropea għat-twettiq tal-pjanijiet tal-enerġija nadifa ta’ Malta. Din l-aħbar issaħħaħ id-determinazzjoni tal-gvern li jkompli jiffaċilita iżjed investimenti ħodor f’Malta”, qalet il-Ministru Dalli.
Sal-aħħar tas-sena 2021, Malta kienet qed tipproduċi 12.15% tal-ħtiġijiet tal-enerġija tagħha minn sorsi rinnovabbli, li jfisser li diġà nqabżet il-mira ta’ 11.5% sal-2030, hekk kif stabbilit fil-Pjan Nazzjonali dwar l-Enerġija u l-Klima tal-pajjiż. “Il-gvern se jkompli jibni fuq dawn ir-riżultati b’inizjattivi ikbar, biex nipprovdu l-appoġġ tekniku u finanzjarju għal din it-tranżizzjoni lejn l-enerġija nadifa”, qalet il-Ministru Miriam Dalli.
“Hekk kif stqarrejna waqt il-laqgħa tal-ministri tal-enerġija tal-pajjiżi Med9, qed naħdmu biex nilħqu l-miri tal-enerġija tagħna bi pjan determinat, b’azzjonijiet fuq livelli differenti, bħat-tisħiħ tas-sistema nazzjonali tad-distribuzzjoni tal-elettriku sabiex tkun tista’ takkomoda iżjed sistemi ta’ enerġija rinnovabbli, skemi aktar b’saħħithom għal sistemi ta’ pannelli tax-xemx żgħar, medji u kbar għad-djar u n-negozji, kif ukoll interkonnessjonijiet tal-enerġija ġodda ma’ pajjiżi oħrajn u sistemi kbar ta’ batteriji għall-ħażna tal-enerġija biex inżidu l-flessibilità fis-sorsi ta’ enerġija waqt li negħlbu l-isfidi tal-intermittenza tas-sorsi ta’ enerġija rinnovabbli”, sostniet il-ministru.
Dan ix-xahar Malta rat żewġ żviluppi ewlenin f’din id-direzzjoni. L-ewwel waħda hija l-investiment ta’ €47 miljun għall-iżvilupp ta’ żewġ impjanti kbar tal-batteriji għall-ħażna tal-enerġija f’Delimara u fil-Marsa, u l-ftehim bejn Malta u l-Libja biex jiġi mistħarreġ il-potenzjal ta’ interkonnessjonijiet ġodda ta’ enerġija nadifa bejn iż-żewġ pajjiżi u l-kumplament tal-Ewropa.
Fl-istess waqt, Interconnect Malta qed tmexxi l-proċess ta’ ippjanar u permessi għal Interconnector 2, it-tieni cable taħt il-baħar tal-elettriku bejn Malta u l-Italja.