The government is set to ensure that gas prices remain stable while current prices will remain as they are until April 2016. Currently, the gas prices are the cheapest they ever were in some four years. This measure will mean that the price of gas will remain as is for the next nine months, through wintertime.
The same will apply to the prices of fuel and despite the fact that excise duty will increase, fuel prices will be reduced in January, the government said.
Fight against electricity theft to continue
Electricity provider Enemalta is to continue its fight against electricity theft which started in 2014 in a bid “to convey its message that it will not tolerate electricity theft”.
Plans for demolishing the oldest part of the Delimara power station will be concluded in 2016, including the removal of the plant’s largest chimney.
Enemalta will focus on strengthening its electricity distribution by extending various centres of distribution including in Marsa, Manoel Island, St Andrew’s, Santa Venera, Xewkija, and Mellieha to mention but a few. This, the government said, will help reduce the risk of power cuts in homes and businesses.
Feed-in tariffs
The government will continue to ensure that solar panel feed-in tariffs will remain attractive while some 20 megawatts worth of panels will be distributed during this year. Discussions on solar ‘farms’ between the government and business organisations will continue leading to the development and management of such farms by businesses.
The government also intends identifying pieces of land to house a number of solar panels for families who cannot, for some reason or other, install solar panels on their own roofs. The panels would obviously be purchased by the families who join the scheme.
A campaign promoting energy efficiency and water conservation will be launched. Some 15,000 households have already received leaflets explaining that a campaign official will be calling them to explain in detail how best one can save energy at his/her home. The pilot project is free of charge.
Gas pipeline still in the pipeline
A study on the Malta-Sicily gas pipeline will be commissioned and Malta is to receive some €400,000 in EU funds under the ‘Connecting Europe Facility’ fund. The study will focus on identifying a 1.2 kilometre ‘corridor’ under water for a gas pipeline to be constructed while also looking at the environmental impact of such a project.
National Water Management Plan
The government intends continuing to invest in reverse osmosis plants by allocating some €2 million to renovate such plants. A review of Malta’s water management plan has been made by the Global Water Partnership – Mediterranean – an international organisation which deals with water management) so that it will be ascertained that Malta’s plan follows the principles of the Integrated Water Resource Management.