Health and Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi touched down in Malta this afternoon on a flight from Larnaca having concluded a deal with China on a new energy agreement that will be announced in Parliament on Tuesday.

He had meetings with representatives of the Chinese government on the energy deal which was meant to have been announced to the Maltese people by end November, but which had now been delayed until Dr Mizzi makes his speech in the House of Representatives.

On Tuesday, Parliament will be debating the estimates falling under his ministry.

Conditions to the initial heads of agreement reached between the two countries have been changed in the discussions that ensued to finalising the accord. These changes were ultimately the cause that led to the government not fulfilling its pledge to have the new power station at Delimara delivered by the March 2015 deadline. In this respect, the government had to convince Electrogas to accept what the Chinese were demanding.

The Malta Independent is informed that the deal may include a bi-lateral agreement with Cyprus on photovoltaic production of energy.

The Interconnector with Sicily has been deemed as crucial to the deal to sell energy on the European grid. Issues on interconnector between Italy and Sicily have been resolved paving the way for a stable connection.

The next possible deal will involve Algeria for a possible interconnector branching to Malta. Algeria is now considered to be the most stable country in north Africa.