The serious issues surrounding the Floating Storage Unit of the Delimara natural gas power station need to be addressed, PN President Ann Fenech said during a press conference this morning.

Dr Fenech pointed towards the bay’s exposure to the elements, a lack of real-time wave studies, and the potential failure of the storm mooring system as clear safety risks that have been “ignored” by Electrogas in the risk assessments they conducted when studying the vessel.

Energy Shadow Minister Marthese Portelli went on to say that the project’s “serious failings” prove that the deal was not in the nation's best interests, instead it was “a corrupt deal done by the corrupt clique in government”

The wave studies conducted concerning the wave climate and the wave penetration were purely based on simulated mathematical calculations instead of using a real wave buoy study to gather real time data, Dr Fenech claimed. In fact, she said, the report clearly states that the waves entering the bay may actually be higher then what was indicated in the reports.

She then raised concerns regarding the jetty classification, since Electrogas had not yet provided the necessary safety certificates to the relevant authorities. This had been confirmed by Captain Bugeja of Transport Malta at Friday’s public consultation meeting,

There have been conflicting reports regarding the potential failing of the storm mooring system, since a report in December 2015 had been determined as unsatisfactory or conclusive; a report in July 2016 then called for the use of anchor piles instead; then a memo in August 2016 said that there will be no anchor piles.



Electrogas also completely ignores SICTO regulations by omitting the stipulated quick release hook between the vessel and the jetty, according to Dr Fenech. By not installing these hooks it has left the possibility of the FSU experiencing grave difficulties in stormy weather, since the tug boats (which will be employed once FSU becomes a cold ship) have a limitation of a 2m wave height.

The collision permutations presented by Electrogas are also another area of concern since they do not consider the possibility of a collision once the vessel is on the storm mooring system, whilst also failing to take into the account of the possibility of navigational and technical errors.

There was a failure to produce emergency plans on the marine side, Dr Fenech said. This was especially alarming since neither the Civil Protection Department nor Transport Malta would claim responsibility for this contingency plan, with the CPD admitting that it did not currently posses the necessary equipment to tackle this scenario.

With regards to the CPD, Dr Fenech said that there had been a complete beach of the Seveso Directive since there were several empty pages in the CPD external emergency report. She then questioned Electrogas’ claims that they would not be able to reveal parts of the plan since it may be used by potential attackers.

Serious omissions in electro gas safety report - extreme weather conditions discarded from risk assessment.

There were also other serious omissions in the Electrogas safety report since extreme weather conditions had been discarded from the risk assessment, Dr Fenech said.




The Quantitative Risk Assessment also bared major faults, according to Dr Fenech, since they had been based on a report which had been deemed inconclusive and unsatisfactory. She then pointed to the COMAH statistic that in fact one in a fifty year storm would result in a moderate or catastrophic outcome.

She then expressed severe disdain to the Electrogas claim that ‘fatalities were at an acceptable limit’ saying that fatalities should not even be a possibility.

Electrogas’ claims that there have been FSUs based in exposed bays before were completely false, Dr Fenech said, pointing towards the fact that there example of FSU stationed in the port of Klaipeda was actually a regasification unit and was stationed deep within the bay and was not exposed to the elements as the FSU in Delimara.

The studies also ignore the geological considerations of the area specifically the rock face behind the jetty which has dropped large rocks as recently as July.



There was also no mention of third party liability insurance and compensation in the instance were there damages or injuries or death, she claimed. She then went on to say that when she pressed the company for an answer they could not provide one.

Dr Fenech proposed that the FSU could completely avoid these safety concerns by being placed 22km offshore as was seen in Livorno

Shadow Minister Marthese Portelli started by saying that it was unacceptable that the government would continue to feed the public the wrong information on the project.

She went on to claim that it was clear that the project is not for the benefit of the population, this was apparent in Friday’s meeting were Enemalta Chairman Fredrick Azzopardi’s presentation, were it showed that the country has more than enough energy to meet Malta’s energy needs.

The highest maximum electrical generation the country has ever experienced is 438MW in August 2015, Azzopardi said, whilst the current generational capacity is 579 MW.

Ultimately, she said, that the project was “a corrupt deal done by the corrupt clique in government”

PN Spokesperson for Planning Ryan Callus raised concerns regarding the no fly zone imposed above the bay, claiming that this was usually used in war zone.

PN candidate Mark Anthony Sammut also criticized Friday’s public consultation meeting for being dominated by long winded presentations for the operators and agencies involved in the project saying that it left little time for the public to actually express themselves.

MP Toni Bezzina was also in attendance. 

Labour Party Reaction

The negative politics and campaign of fear found within Simon Busuttil’s Nationalist Party is symotamatic of party without any energy plan, a Labour Party statement read.

The statement then claimed pointless arugments from the opposition are being used to disguise the fact that Simon Busuttil would like to continue working with the heavy fuel oil powered Delimara 1 and reopen the power station in Marsa. 

Shadow Minister Marthese Portelli categorically denied these claims at the press conference this afternoon pointing towards the figures provided by Enemalta Chairman Fredrick Agius proving this. 

Office of the Prime Minister Reaction 

The more the opposition talks the more it confirms that their only plan is to use heavy fuel oil for the future so they would be able to raise bills, a statement for the Office of the Prime Minster read.

It went on to say that it was ridiculous that the opposition first began complaining of explosions to now raising its concerns on weather conditions, when the experts for the competent authorities have shown that the project will have the latest safety measures.