Energy Minister Joe Mizzi yesterday said that the government is still evaluating the options for the Marsa power station site and that it has not yet decided on any specific plans.

“Technical persons are currently looking at the possible ways forward for the Enemalta land,” the minister told this newspaper yesterday.

“There are certain ideas, and we have held discussions with the other shareholders, Shanghai Electric Power. It seems we are on the same wavelength as concerns the development of the area, and the people of Marsa are also being kept in mind,” the minister told this newspaper.

Mizzi was, however, not willing to mention any ideas that are currently on the table, and would not confirm if there will be a park.

He did, however, state that the area would include an open space: “We will not forget the people of Marsa, and we will create recreational areas. We are not only considering the business aspect, but the holistic aspect”.

Asked about demolition works, he said they are on target, and works are meant to be concluded by the end of 2017, but they could actually be finished earlier.

The minister believes that the historic parts of the old power station will remain: “One will await the final report to see how we will move forward.”

The Marsa Power Station was switched off in March 2015, and was kept on cold standby until early 2017, when it was completely disconnected. The plant is currently being dismantled.

The decommissioning and dismantling of this station formed part of Enemalta’s plan to transform the country’s electricity generation sector by ending the use of oil-fired generators and shifting to cleaner technologies, including gas-fired plants, the Malta-Italy Interconnector and renewable sources.