PN MP George Pullicino said today in parliament that the government is withholding information related to its floating LNG storage unit plans. He was referring to a story carried in The Malta Independent online earlier today in which the name of the LNG tanker to be anchored at Marsaxlokk Bay was revealed, information that was not provided by the government.

While noting that the liquefied regasification unit would be placed on land, when it could easily be placed outside the Marsaxlokk port, he said that the government chose a cheaper option at the expense of the safety of residents.

He questioned what would become of the government’s power station project which will cost millions if the government really decides to make use of the gas pipeline.

“Is the government going to spend that amount of money and then abandon the project to use the gas pipeline,” he asked.

Mr Pullicino said that it is unfair that a journalist of The Malta Independent was called to the Prime Minister’s office last week only to be given excerpts of a report, prepared by Italian expert Umberto Maffezzoli, which had been kept away from public eye.

The Malta Independent on Sunday was given partial access to an unpublished report on the LNG terminal which had served as the foundation for the report carried out by Georgios Papadakis, a Greek expert.

Occupation Health and Safety Authority (OHSA) head Mark Gauci had said that the prior report was not published because “in isolation it means nothing” as it was merely a set of recommendations made by one expert to another.

The report was drawn up in December 2013 by Dr Maffezzoli and served as the basis of the subsequent report by Papadakis. 

Mr Pullicino also referred to a story carried on this portal earlier this evening, which revealed the name of the LNG tanker to be stationed at Marsaxlokk. He said that the person who was assigned to draw up the Environment Impact Assessment report mistakenly left the name of the tanker which will be used to carry the gas storage tanks showing, LNG Gemini.

He accused Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi of trying to withhold the name of the tanker away from the public, asking him whether there were other things the minister was keeping under wraps.

Sources at the Electrogas consortium earlier today confirmed to The Malta Independent that the floating tanker is the LNG Gemini.

Click on the following link to view story published earlier:

http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2014-03-12/news/lng-tanker-revealed-4234575873/