“Complete madness” is how Nationalist Party MP Ryan Callus described the Labour Government’s decision to spend €37 million on renting two diesel generators which will be in use for 47 days.
During a press conference held on Friday to address the energy distribution situation, Callus said that the government’s intention to acquire two diesel generators proves that it has absolutely no plan for energy.
He remarked how the previous summer was one which everyone experienced in darkness and heat. He said that the government had marked distribution as the only problem, referring to the delivery of energy from power stations to our homes. However, he continued that it is evident that the problem is much larger than what the government has said. “It is not only distribution, but also the generation of energy,” the MP commented.
“This is what happens when you do not plan properly,” he said. Callus added that the truth is that a big enough power station was not established and that it was not big enough due to the fact that the country has seen an increase in population which has ultimately led to an increase in demand for energy.
With that said, he added that the increase in population was not the only factor, but that the change in climate also contributed to the demand for energy. “These are not things that no one saw coming. We have known of this for a long time, but we are now in a crisis due to the government’s incompetence.”
The MP questioned what happens when one has a crisis and wants to find a quick solution, and answered that one would resort to solutions which are not ideal.
Speaking further regarding the reason behind the diesel generators only being used for 47 days, he said that it is a confirmation of how much of a mistake it is for the government to give Enemalta the direction to go to diesel.
He said that when you have this sort of plant, you are limited to only using it for 500 hours within a year as it pollutes beyond standards. “This means that because of this incompetence, we are ending up paying for it with our money, and to this day we still do not have a guarantee from the Energy Minister or the Labour Government that by the upcoming summer we will have a stable provision and that we will not go through that which we did before.”
European Parliament candidate Lee Bugeja Bartolo said that it is important for the country to move forwards and not backwards in its plans and the approach it takes. He continued that it is important to remember the PN’s plan which suggested and reinforced the need to think of renewable energy sources which Malta can benefit from and should treat with utmost seriousness without further delay.
“We need to be modern, advanced, moving forward with the technology, engineering, and methods we utilise. This is currently not happening, and things need to change,” he concluded.