Recently published National Statistics Office data shows that during 2023, the electricity supply in Malta comprised of net generation from power plants (67.8 per cent), supply from net imports (21.3 per cent) and renewable sources (10.9 per cent).

Energy harvesting from renewable sources registered an increase of 7.3 per cent, reaching 318.6 GWh in 2023. Most of the renewable energy (97.0 per cent) was produced from photovoltaic panels.

While there is a year-on-year improvement in Malta's renewable energy output, the country still lags behind when compared to its EU counterparts.  Indeed, Malta consistently ranks in the bottom places when compared to other EU nations.

There is a consistent effort towards carbon neutrality even in the private sector - and that always includes a push towards renewable energy - but the country's electricity demand is also increasing, which is cutting into the gains in renewable energy that are being made.

The increase in electricity demand is such that in some years - while the total amount of renewable energy generated is higher than the previous year - the share of electricity consumed that comes from renewable energy has actually reduced.

For example, while the NSO stated that 10.9% of the electricity generation as from renewable sources in 2023; in 2021 the European Union's statistics agency Eurostat reported that Malta's renewable energy share stood at 12.2% .

That was still only enough to make the country Europe's second worst performer. The data showed that only Luxembourg ranked lower than Malta in terms of how much of its energy consumption comes from renewable sources.

As part of the EU's ambitious Green New Deal, Malta has set a target to produce 100% of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2050 - but looking at this with more realistic eyes, Malta only managed to reach its renewable energy target for 2020 by purchasing carbon credits from other countries to offset Malta's own fossil fuel emissions.

Between 2013 and 2020, Malta purchased €1.4 million worth of "annual emissions allocations" (AEA's) from Bulgaria, which financed the creation of solar farms in Bulgaria, followed by the purchase of €2 million euros worth of tax credits from Estonia in early 2020. It was the purchase of these credits that saw Malta surpass its renewable energy target for 2020.

It's clear that if Malta wants to reach the target it set itself then the government needs to be extremely ambitious - particularly as the country's electricity demand is increasing year-on-year.

Prime Minister Robert Abela when being interviewed by journalists last Sunday, including a journalist from this newspaper, was asked how radical the government is going to be when it comes to the environment, and a couple of things he mentioned were with regards to a new Climate Action Authority and looking into ambitious new renewable energy projects.

One idea he mentioned, for example, pertained to floating solar panels in Malta's waters.  In the past, it's been clear that even wind farms out in Malta's waters was an idea which - although costly - was under consideration.

It is only major projects like these which will provide a significant boost in Malta's renewable energy output and an increase in the share of electricity that comes from renewable sources. 

As things stand the marginal gains being made are being cancelled out by the increase in Malta's electricity demand.