The drawing up of an action plan to update Malta’s electricity distribution network and strengthen it is in its final stages, Energy Minister Miriam Dalli said

Extended heat waves this summer caused extensive power cuts across the islands and this was largely blamed on a faulty distribution network.

“The measures needed to be taken both on a short term, medium term, and long term basis are being segregated in order to ensure that the support to the system is administered properly to the country as a whole,” Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Sustainable Development Miriam Dalli told The Malta Independent on Monday.

“This plan is in its final stages and once it is completed it will be communicated to the public,” she added.

Having termed the recent frequent and lengthy power cuts across the islands as “unacceptable”, Minister Dalli instructed Enemalta to address weaknesses in the distribution network, by drawing up a plan to identify where the issues lie, so that they are resolved as quickly as possible.

Enemalta said it believes the damage to the distribution network could have been caused by the increase in demand of electricity due to the heat waves. The energy corporation said the record consumption was that of 565 Mega Watts.

Consumer backlash over a series of scheduled maintenance works that would have necessitated further electricity cuts earlier this month forced Enemalta to postpone the works.