The government has launched a new revised national renewable energy action for the years 2015 - 2020. This revised version will update the action plan which the government had submitted with the EU Commission back in 2010.

The main element of this revised document is that the government's renewable energy plans will now be focused on solar energy and will drastically reduce the percentage of wind energy from the formula. In a detailed presentation at Castille, the Permanent Secretary for Energy within the Office of the Prime Minister, Ronald Mizzi, explained that this plan will lead to the 2020 targets set up by the European Union of 10% renewable energy. So far, Malta has reached and even managed to exceed these targets.

"The idea to have a new, updated version of the action plan for renewable energy came along because the government felt the need to adapt with the new technology and redefine the roadmap which will lead to the year 2020," he explained.

Mr Mizzi said that the main aim of the action plan remains the same, to find cost efficient, and sustainable ways of producing energy.

To come up with this action, the government has set up a consultation document. The plan is to increase the use of PV solar energy from 0.7% to 4.7%. The use of wind energy, however, will decrease from 4% to almost 0%.

The reason for this shift from wind to solar came about because of the lack of feasibility of wind farm projects, such as that of Sikka l-Bajda which was never approved. In fact, the document states that wind farm projects will not be set up in the 'foreseeable future'. However, this does not mean that wind energy will be completely out of the list of solutions. Wind energy was side-lined also because onshore projects are now considered unlikely due to environmental concerns.  

The action plan does not envisage any waste-energy plant before the year 2020 and the focus will remain with solar energy. For solar energy to take precedence, the plan is to allocate some 2.7 square kilometres of land. PV capacity will reach 185 MWp by the year 2020. PV panels on rooftops will remain a priority and so will more solar farms.

To help with this roadmap, the government will be issuing further capital grant schemes for domestic systems. The aim is to have 400 PV installations projects per annum.

On sustainable transport, Member States have a separate 10% target. Petrol importers and wholesalers will be obliged to provide the minimum amount of bio fuel and support schemes for LNG conversion will also be launched.

The public consultation will be open until 1 December 2016.