The government has failed to confirm or deny reports in the international media that claimed that the Delimara power station project could be delayed by six to twelve months, possibly derailing the government’s plans to reduce energy tariffs for industry by March 2015.
Norwegian shipping news agency Tradewinds News reported some weeks ago that Electrogas – the consortium that has been awarded the tender to build the new power station, has acquired an LNG carrier to convert into a Floaring Storage Unit but said the project’s “start-up schedule appears to have slipped back from September 2015 to March 2016.” Tradewinds said it did not manage to get a reaction from Electrogas.
The dates indicated by Trade Winds imply that the project would be delayed by six months, but the government has repeatedly stated that the new power station project would actually become fully-operational by March 2015, which would mean that the delay will be by a full year.
The Malta Independent followed up the story and sent questions the Health and Energy Ministry, but the government failed to reply. The questions were sent to Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi and his communications coordinator, as well as to the government’s head of communication and the Chief of Staff at the Office of the Prime Minister.
The PL had promised to build a new gas-fired power station within two years of being elected to power and the project developers – Electrogas Malta Ltd – are insisting that the March 2015 deadline can be met. The actual deadline is however not clear, as conflicting reports mention March 2015 and September 2015 as the date by which the power station will be commissioned.
Some months back the European Commission had raised doubts over the power station project since no visible works were being carried out at the Delimara site. Besides, the contract with Electrogas was only signed in May of this year. Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi has however insisted that the project is on track and said drilling works at the site had started.
The government’s March deadline means that all components of the power station – a gas-fired plant, an onshore re-gasification unit, a Floating Storage Unit and its accompanying jetty - have to be built within an eight-month timeframe, which has been described as very ambitious, if not unreachable.
A delay to the government’s plans could also spell trouble for Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, who has promised to reduce energy tariffs for industry by March 2015. Questions in this regard have also gone unanswered.