It was another night without electricity in certain parts of Malta, as the network could not keep up with the demand as temperatures soared into the 40s.
Siggiewi, Luqa, Zebbug, Qormi, Qrendi, Safi and Zurrieq were all without power, the same as Qala and Ghajnsielem in Gozo, according to a map showing power outages on the Enemalta website. Parts of Naxxar were also without power.
Social media is awash with comments criticising the authorities responsible.
In a statement on its Facebook page just after 7am, Enemalta said that during the night its technical and customer response teams responded to 9 high voltage network faults affecting customers in parts of different localities.
Electricity supply to many customers impacted was restored during the night. "Customers in 3 remaining localised areas in Zurrieq, Naxxar and Zebbug, where extensive repairs are required, will be reconnected as soon as possible," it had said in its post.
Later in the day, Enemalta issued a statement. "More than fifty Enemalta technicians, engineers and customer care agents responded to nine major network disruptions in localised areas of several localities, including Naxxar, Qormi, Żurrieq, Mellieha, Victoria, Żebbuġ and surrounding areas during the night between Tuesday and Wednesday, Enemalta said.
"Most disruptions were caused by underground cable faults, which require fault location works using specialised equipment, road trenching to uncover damaged cables and the laying and jointing of new cables. In most disruptions, customers were reconnected to the network through other connections in the same area. Last year, as Enemalta launched a €90 million six-year network reinforcement programme to reduce the risks and duration of unplanned outages, the company upgraded 3 distribution centres, laid 71 new low voltage feeders completed 48 new substations and extended its network with circa over 100 kilometres of new high voltage cables and aerial lines," it said in a statement.
"Some of these improvements were critical to help respond to network difficulties experienced in recent days. In some cases, multiple faults in the same area prohibited the restoration of supply through alternative connections until repairs to damaged underground cables were completed. In one such case on Tuesday night, Enemalta registered five different cable faults in different parts of Zurrieq within a few hours. Works to repair these faults are still in progress, and the last remaining localised areas impacted will be reconnected to the network as soon as possible."
Enemalta said that one small area in Zebbug also requires extensive repairs to grid infrastructure. "In this case, it was possible to restore supply to the area through a backup power system. Enemalta will continue to carry out the required works to re-establish network flexibility and resilience in the affected areas throughout the day on Wednesday. Short supply interruptions may be required to finalise these works and safely shift supply connections back to the repaired infrastructure."
Enemalta CEO Jonathan Cardona said that as more customers rely on electricity to beat the ongoing heatwave, Enemalta understands that the swiftest response possible is even more essential. "We have reinforced our technical teams threefold, to help as many customers at the same time as possible, and to complete repairs without delay. We are also taking additional measures to prepare the required equipment and road excavation and backfilling services ahead of peak times, when more customers are relying on Enemalta's services," the CEO said.
Meanwhile, the network upgrades planned for the second year of the €90 million network upgrade are proceeding as planned, Enemalta said. "During the first six months of the year, the network development teams added another 23 new substations, 23 upgrades of existing substations, and some 46 new low and medium voltage cable connections. More of these upgrades will come on stream in the coming months. Enemalta is using its SMS notification service to keep customers updated on faults and works affecting their electricity supply. Regular updates are also being shared on the company's Facebook page. Customers are encouraged to register for the SMS notification service to receive advance notice of any scheduled maintenance works, as well as updates on unplanned interruptions in their area, by sending an SMS with the account holder's ID Card number, on 79052492. Live updates of planned and unplanned electricity supply disruptions are also available on the Enemalta website www.enemalta.com.mt."