So Enemalta is surprised (TMID, 5 March) that its engineers and other professional staff union has expressed doubts in public about the government’s grandiose idea of linking Malta to Sicily by submarine cable for electricity provision. Enemalta likes the easy, but costly, way out. You see, it would not pay for the linkage, the consumer does.

Such a cable would be making Malta highly dependable on European power production, and Europe depends greatly on, for one, risky Russian supplies. Should we make ourselves so vulnerable to Europe’s problems?

Enemalta says modern submarine cables have proven to be extremely reliable. Of course they are – if they are not interfered with. But a ship’s anchor would play havoc with such a cable. I just happen to be remembering the failure we had not so long ago in our internet connection.

Enemalta misleadingly refers to the English Channel and describes it as one of the busiest shipping lanes. Of course it is, but ships on the English Channel do not anchor there. They just move on, without disturbing the seabed. In the Mediterranean vessels do lay anchor, including the many fishing craft. And sometimes, as happened not so long ago locally, a submarine cable (not the one carrying the internet connection) is interrupted.

Though the Mediterranean is about four times as large as the North Sea. The vulnerability of a submarine cable to Sicily becomes much bigger.

Enemalta should be professional and honest, and contest the government’s idea. Not go along with it, for its heads to retain their lucrative positions.

J. Falzon

Rabat