Dr Harry Vassallo, chairperson of Alternattiva Demokratika, yesterday addressed a press conference held on the bridge over Aldo Moro Street in Marsa with the Marsa power station in the background.

Dr Vassallo gave Cyprus as an example, where almost every roof has a solar panel.

Solar panels can be used to heat water instead of electric water heaters and this will reduce costs. In Malta, 20 per cent of electricity bills go towards heating up water for household use.

Dr Vassallo called for more alternative energy sources which could be utilised in Malta. He advanced the idea of energy audits in domestic and industrial areas. The audits would target wasteful use of electricity and put into perspective how energy sources can be better used.

According to the International Energy Agency, in 2001 Malta used a total of 1943 gigawatts per hour (GWh) of oil. Of these, 118 GWh were used up in the energy sector, and 256 GWh were taken up in distribution losses.

The total final consumption was 1569 GWh of which 483 were used by the industrial sector, 546 by the commercial and public service and 540 by households.

Athough the Malta Resources Authority was set up about four years ago, Dr Vassallo said it had not made its presence felt as no changes were visible.

Malta’s small size could be an advantage when implementing new technologies as opposed to other countries.

Dr Vassallo said that public transport in Malta needed to be improved, and there was no serious campaigning to bring about changes in general. A shift needed to be made from petrol and diesel to other less pollutant fuels. He pointed out that due to lack of support, the project using hydrogen as an alternative source of fuel by the Faculty of Physics in the University of Malta came to nothing.

Mario Mallia, deputy chairperson, and James Debono, media officer were also present.