Network upgrades and new interconnections will consolidate Malta’s renewable energy plans
Malta’s commitment to electricity network reinforcements and its plans to augment security of supply through new interconnections with mainland Europe and battery storage systems are paving the way for increased renewable energy investment in coming years.
Kadri Simson, European Commissioner for Energy and Miriam Dalli, Malta’s Minister for the Environment, Energy and Enterprise, discussed Malta’s renewable energy plans on Wednesday during a visit to some of the principal electricity network installations operated by Malta’s distribution network operator Enemalta plc. The visit was held on the fringes of the Med9 Meeting of Energy Ministers, which is taking place in Valletta on Thursday.
Commissioner Simson and Minister Dalli also met Interconnect Malta, the Government company entrusted with the development of Interconnector 2, the second subsea electricity interconnector between Malta and Italy.
During the visit, Enemalta management explained how the company is implementing a €90 million reinforcement programme to improve network resilience while providing additional capacity to meet the requirements of the country’s growing investment in grid-connected renewables. The visit included stops at the Kappara 132kV primary substation, which was recently upgraded, the Terminal Station of the EU-funded Malta-Italy Interconnector at Magħtab, as well as a section of the 30-kilometre network of underground tunnels housing the country’s 110-kilometre high-voltage cable network.
Interconnect Malta’s management team gave an update on the ongoing planning and permitting stages of the Interconnector 2 project, which is being developed with the support of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). This new interconnection will provide for the planned increase in local renewable energy sources (RES) by enhancing grid stability and balancing renewables’ intermittency.
Interconnect Malta is also working on the Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) Project, a grid-scale electricity storage system that is being planned as an important contribution to the attainment of Malta’s decarbonisation commitments, in line with the EU’s Green Deal objectives. The BESS project is being co-funded by the Recovery and Resilience Fund (RRF) and the ERDF of the European Union.
European Commissioner Kadri Simson said: “We had a good discussion with Minister Dalli today about Malta’s plans to invest in infrastructure projects that will help further deployment of renewable energy. It is always useful to see energy projects on site. Europe – including the Mediterranean region – keeps moving at full speed towards a decarbonised, secure and affordable energy system. I am happy to see Malta stepping up renewables investments and contributing to this joint goal.”
Minister Dalli thanked Commissioner Simson for accepting Malta’s invitation to learn more about its ambitious renewable energy plans. “We believe that our only way forward is to maximise the potential of existing and upcoming renewable energy technologies to achieve our decarbonisation objectives, while working towards increased autonomy and security of supply. During tomorrow’s Med9 Meeting, we will show how the Mediterranean can be the key to tackle some of the complexities that Europe’s energy sector is currently facing. We are determined to continue working with the European Commission and with other member states to show how the Mediterranean can become Europe’s Green Energy Centre,” the Minister said.
Il-pjanijiet għal iktar enerġija rinnovabbli, interkonnessjonijiet u ħażna tal-enerġija bil-batteriji ser jgħinu lil Malta tilħaq id-dekarbonizzazzjoni
It-tisħiħ tan-netwerk u interkonnessjonijiet ġodda se jsaħħu l-pjanijiet t’enerġija rinnovabbli f’Malta
L-impenn ta’ Malta lejn it-tisħiħ tas-sistema tad-distribuzzjoni tal-elettriku u l-pjanijiet biex inżidu s-sigurtà tal-provvista permezz t’interkonnessjonijiet ġodda mal-Ewropa u sistemi ta’ batteriji qed iwittu t-triq lejn iktar investiment fl-enerġija rinnovabbli fis-snin li ġejjin.
Kadri Simson, il-Kummissarju Ewropew għall-Enerġija u Miriam Dalli, il-Ministru għall-Ambjent, l-Enerġija u l-Intrapriża, iddiskutew il-pjanijiet tal-enerġija rinnovabbli ta’ Malta waqt żjara f’uħud mill-installazzjonijiet tan-netwerk tal-elettriku ewlenin ta’ Enemalta plc, l-Erbgħa filgħodu. Iż-żjara saret jum qabel il-bidu ta’ Med9, il-laqgħa tal-Ministri tal-Enerġija tal-Mediterran, li se ssir il-Belt Valletta nhar il-Ħamis filgħodu.
Il-Kummissarju Simson u l-Ministru Dalli ltaqgħu ukoll ma’ Interconnect Malta, il-kumpanija tal-Gvern fdata bl-iżvilupp ta’ Interconnector 2, it-tieni cable tal-elettriku taħt il-baħar bejn Malta u l-Italja.
Waqt din iż-żjara, it-tmexxija ta’ Enemalta spjegat kif il-kumpanija qed timplimenta programm ta’ rinfurzar tas-sistema tad-distribuzzjoni tal-elettriku, b’investiment ta’ €90 miljun, sabiex issaħħaħ in-netwerk waqt li tipprovdi l-kapaċità addizzjonali meħtieġa biex tilqa’ għall-ħtiġijiet tal-investiment li dejjem qed jikber u li l-pajjiż qed jagħmel f’sistemi tal-enerġija rinnovabbli. Iż-żjara inkludiet waqfiet fiċ-Ċentru tad-Distribuzzjoni 132 kV tal-Kappara, li għadu kif ġie mtejjeb, fit-Terminal tal-Interconnector bejn Malta u l-Italja, fil-Magħtab, kif ukoll f’sezzjoni tas-sistema ta’ 30 kilometru ta’ mini taħt l-art, li fihom Enemalta għandha netwerk ta’ 110-kilometru ta’ cables ta’ vultaġġ għoli.
It-tmexxija ta’ Interconnect Malta tat aġġornament dwar l-ippjanar u l-proċess tal-permessi għall-Interconnector 2, li qed jiġi żviluppat bl-appoġġ tal-Fond Ewropew għall-Iżvilupp Reġjonali (ERDF) tal-Unjoni Ewropea. Din l-interkonnessjoni se tipprovdi għaż-żieda fil-ġenerazzjoni t’elettriku minn sorsi t’enerġija rinnovabbli li qed jippjana l-pajjiż billi toffri l-istabbiltà meħtieġa fin-netwerk u tibbilanċja l-intermittenza ta’ dawn is-sorsi rinnovabbli.
Interconnect Malta qed taħdem ukoll fuq il-proġett Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), sistema kbira ta’ batteriji għall-ħażna tal-enerġija elettrika li qed tiġi ppjanata bħala kontribuzzjoni importanti fil-ħidma lejn id-dekarbonizzazzjoni f’Malta, skont il-miri tal-Green Deal tal-Unjoni Ewropea. Il-proġett BESS se jkun ko-finanzjat mill-Faċilità għall-Irkupru u r-Reżiljenza tal-Unjoni Ewropea u mill-ERDF.
Il-Kummissarju Ewropew Kadri Simson qalet: “Illum kellna diskussjoni pożittiva mal-Ministru Dalli dwar il-pjanijiet ta’ Malta biex tinvesti fi proġetti infrastrutturali li se jikkontribwixxu għaż-żieda fis-sistemi t’enerġija rinnovabbli. Żjarat bħal dawn fejn naraw proġetti tal-enerġija fuq il-post huma dejjem ta’ għarfien siewi għalina. L-Ewropa – inkluż ir-reġjun tal-Mediterran – tinsab għaddejja b’pass mgħaġġel lejn settur tal-enerġija dekarbonizzat, sigur u affordabbli. Qed nieħu gost nara lil Malta tistinka bis-sħiħ biex tinvesti fl-enerġija rinnovabbli u tagħti s-sehem tagħha biex nilħqu din il-mira.”
Il-Ministru Miriam Dalli rringrazzjat lill-Kummissarju Simson li laqgħet l-istedina biex issir taf aktar dwar il-pjanijiet ambizzjużi ta’ Malta dwar l-enerġija rinnovabbli. “Nemmnu li l-uniku triq ’il quddiem hija li nimmassimizzaw il-potenzjal tat-teknoloġiji eżistenti u dawk li ser naraw fiż-żmien li ġej, biex nilħqu l-miri tad-dekarbonizzazzjoni filwaqt li naħdmu lejn iżjed awtonomija u sigurtà tal-provvista. Waqt il-laqgħa tal-Med9 t’għada, se nuru kif il-Mediterran jista’ jkun iċ-ċavetta għal diversi sfidi li s-settur tal-enerġija fl-Ewropa qed jiffaċċja bħalissa. Determinati li nkomplu naħdmu mal-Kummissjoni Ewropea u ma’ stati membri oħrajn biex nuru kif il-Mediterran jista’ jsir ċentru t’enerġija ħadra fl-Ewropa,” temmet tgħid il-Ministru.