The LNG tanker that will be permanently moored in Marsaxlokk bay arrived this morning but the government is still not in a position to say when the gas-fired power station will go online.

The tanker sailed into the bay early this morning, at around 7.30am. It turned facing outwards, with the help of three tugboats, and settled near the jetty, which it will be anchored to later on this week.

Minister without portfolio Konrad Mizzi said this was an “historic event” that marked the end of use of Heavy Fuel Oil, pointing out that Malta is among the last EU countries to still make use of the fuel.

Dr Mizzi said construction of the project is now complete. This includes the conversion of half of the BWSC plant to run on gas.

Photos and footage: Jonathan Borg

He explained that the vessel will now head back to sea for further trials before coming back into Marsaxlokk bay later on this week.

The ship – which is technically called a Floating Storage Unit – is only a temporary solution he, said, and will no longer be used when the gas pipeline project is completed. But Dr Mizzi could not give a definite timeline, saying only that the exact undersea route between Sicily and Malta will be identified by next year. He denied that the tanker would be used for “decades.”

The Minister also failed to say when the power station will become operational. The project is already one and a half years later – the original deadline was March 2015. He said that once the IPPC permit was granted the power plant would start functioning.

Dr Mizzi said the safety and maritime impact assessment studies will be published in the coming weeks and will be put up for public consultation.

Asked by this newspaper why public consultation on the studies was only being held now, after the ship has sailed in, the minister insisted that the public had already been consulted before the planning application was issued. When we pointed out that no safety and maritime studies had been published at that point, Dr Mizzi said some studies had been available at the time. “These studies were reviewed by the relevant authorities, including the OHSA and the Civil Protection Department,” he said.

Electrogas project manager Catherine Halpin said today’s tests were successful. “The ship basically turned on a sixpence, as was projected in the simulations.” She explained that the vessel is still empty and will head back out to sea for more safety and sea trials. People should be aware that there will be some activity in the harbour in the coming days, she said, explaining that the vessel will return to Marsaxlokk in a few days’ time. It will first be connected to the storm mooring, before berthing alongside the jetty.

Pressed to say when the first LNG transfer would take place – the process will involve a second  tanker to fill up the FSU’s tanks – Ms Halpin said the priority right now was to conduct the safety trials. No date for the fuel transfer was given.

Asked about the bright lighting system on the jetty, Ms Halpin said this was an operational necessity and that necessary light impact studies had been carried out.

Electrogas Malta CEO Franz Doefler said all components of the project were undertaken by reliable international partners who had a very good safety track record. He said some 3.5 million man hours had been put into the project with only one incident – at the Greek company that built the regasification unit. The worker made a full, recovery, the CEO pointed out. “We hope to keep this track record,” he said, adding that “Electrogas cares about people and the environment.”

Konrad Mizzi also insisted that “the best engineers from around the world” were involved in the project and that all components were “best of breed, best of class.” 

The tanker has been the target of a political debate, with the government saying that it is a greater part of its mission to produce cleaner energy, while the Nationalist Party says that it puts the lives of the people living in Marsaxlokk Bay at risk. Opposition leader Simon Busuttil said yesterday that the government has the duty to inform the people about the risks of such operation, with the government replying that the PN is, once again, being negative.

Electrogas said in a statement on Sunday the Armada LNG Mediterrana underwent rigorous safety testing and trials before departing for Malta from its original berth in Singapore with armed guards accompanying the vessel throughout its journey as is standard protocol for most ocean going vessels as a mitigation measure against piracy in specific vulnerable areas. 

The jetty at Delimara is ready to receive the FSU to berth alongside safely having also been through rigorous safety and security testing over the past months, Electrogas said.

The LNG tanker, which will be permanently berthed in Marsaxlokk harbour, missed three separate deadlines, the last of which was set for the end of this summer. The government had first set the deadline at March 2015, but this was later extended to June 2016 and, later, summer 2016.

It is still unclear when the gas-powered plant will be fully operational. 

Photos and video: Jonathan Borg