The government will spend €55 million on the electricity distribution network next year to ensure a stable supply, the energy minister said on Monday.

Miriam Dalli was speaking in one of the large tunnels which used to form part of the Marsa power station and which will be used in a mass-battery storage system.

Malta suffered almost two weeks of power cuts in several localities in July, which Enemalta had blamed mostly on old cables and the need to further strengthen the distribution system.

Dalli said at a press conference that a total of €188 million will be spent next year on the electricity infrastructure and the transition to clean energy. That is apart from the €350 million allocated to subsidise the cost of electricity to consumers.

Dalli said the multi-million Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) would help ease the intermittency of renewable sources of energy as this source gradually formed a larger part of the energy mix. It would thus maximise investment in renewable energy and improve security of supply.

The €55 million in national and EU funds allocated for the distribution network would one of the highest allocations for this sector ever. Most will go for distribution centres, sub-stations and cables to improve the capacity, resilience and flexibility of the network.

A call for tender will be issued for a new €14 million distribution centre to serve Naxxar, Iklin, Għargħur, Mosta and neighbouring areas. A similar investment is also earmarked for Siġġiewi, also serving Żurrieq, Qrendi and Mqabba.

€133 million were being allocated for the transition to decarbonised energy. In this context a call will be issued next year for a major offshore renewable energy project, while plans were ongoing for a second electricity interconnector between Italy and Malta.

The minister said incentives for people to make greater use of renewable energy were being kept in place.