English Version :
Energy Minister in bilateral meeting with Sicilian President over Malta’s second interconnector
A bilateral meeting between Malta and Sicily was held over the energy interconnection projects linking Malta to Sicily, Italy.
The Maltese delegation, led by Minister for the Environment, Energy and Enterprise Miriam Dalli, met with the President of Sicily Sebastiano Musumeci at the Palazzo Orléans.
Discussing the electrical interconnector project, namely the doubling of the current link from Malta to Ragusa, Minister Dalli explained that Malta was exploring different routes for both onshore and offshore parts to improve the security of supply. The process will entail environmental and design studies both onshore and offshore. The process of collection of data is set to commence in the coming months.
“Strengthening the integration of Malta’s energy supply network to the European grid is necessary to secure supply for the growing energy demand over the medium-to-long term”, Minister Miriam Dalli said. She further explained that a reinforced interconnection would allow for ingress of more renewables as grid resilience and spinning reserve will be improved enabling Malta to reach its environmental targets towards achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
“The creation of a second interconnector is the best way to respond to the increase in electricity demand that the country will have in the coming years, and for this reason we ask for the collaboration of the regional government to accelerate this process”, reaffirmed Minister Dalli.
Ministry officials and Interconnect Malta representatives accompanied Minister Dalli to the meeting.
Maltese Version :
Il-Ministru għall-Enerġija f’laqgħa bilaterali mal-President ta’ Sqallija dwar it-tieni interconnector
F’laqgħa bilaterali bejn Malta u Sqallija ġew diskussi l-proġetti ta’ interkonnessjoni tal-enerġija li jgħaqqdu lil Malta ma’ Sqallija, l-Italja.
Id-delegazzjoni Maltija, immexxija mill-Ministru għall-Ambjent, l-Enerġija u l-Intrapriża, iltaqgħet mal- President ta’ Sqallija Sebastiano Musumeci f’Palazzo Orléans.
Waqt id-diskussjonijiet dwar il-proġett tal-interconnector, b’mod partikolari t-tisħih tal-link attwali minn Malta għal Ragusa, il-Ministru Dalli spjegat li Malta qiegħda tesplora rotot differenti kemm għall-partijiet onshore kif ukoll offshore biex ittejjeb is-sigurtà tal-provvista. Dan il-proċess se jinvolvi studji ambjentali u ta’ disinn kemm onshore kif ukoll offshore.
Il-proċess tal-ġbir tad-data mistenni jibda fix-xhur li ġejjin.
“It-tisħiħ tal-integrazzjoni tan-network tal-provvista tal-enerġija ta’ Malta mal-grid Ewropew huwa meħtieġ biex tiġi żgurata l-provvista għad-domanda dejjem tikber tal-enerġija”, qalet il-Ministru Miriam Dalli. Spjegat ukoll li t-tieni interconnector se jgħin biex ikun aġevolat aktar l-użu ta’ aktar enerġiji rinnovabbli. Dan għaliex ir- reżiljenza tal-grid u l-ispinning reserve se jittejbu biex jippermettu lil Malta tilħaq il-miri ambjentali tagħha lejn il-kisba tan-newtralità tal-karbonju sal-2050.
“Permezz tat-tieni interconnector inkunu f’pożizzjoni aħjar biex nirrispondu għaż-żieda fid-domanda tal-elettriku li l-pajjiż se jkollu fis-snin li ġejjin. Għal din ir-raġuni nitolbu l-kollaborazzjoni tal-gvern reġjonali biex dan il- proċess ma jiħux fit-tul”, affermat il-Ministru Dalli.
Uffiċjali mill-Ministeru għall-Ambjent, l-Enerġija u l-Intrapriża u rappreżentanti ta’ Interconnect Malta akkumpanjaw lill-Ministru Dalli għal-laqgħa.