An emergency diesel power plant is ready to start operating should any of Malta's primary energy sources fail, Enemalta executive chairman Ryan Fava said on Tuesday.

Installation of the 60-megawatt diesel-powered generation plant was completed on Monday.

The plant, which will cost taxpayers €37 million, is expected to remain in operation until a second undersea interconnector linking Malta to the European power grid is completed. That project is likely to be completed towards the end of 2026 or the beginning of 2027.

UNEC Ltd, the Bonnici Bros-owned firm that won the contract to provide the temporary power station, was obliged to have the plant ready by July. However, last month, Fava said the temporary plant would begin operating in mid-August.

The plant arrived in Malta's freeport at the end of July. UNEC's contract stipulates that it must operate the plant - which has been set up in Delimara - for a 27-month period. 

In a July interview, Fava said that generators like the one leased by Enemalta are in high demand across the Mediterranean.

Enemalta has emphasised that Malta can source enough energy to meet demand, and said that power cut issues are related to inadequate distribution networks. 

The UNEC-run emergency power plant is intended as a temporary fallback solution should one of Malta's primary power sources falter.

A series of power cuts impacted Malta and Gozo in July, sparking frustration among thousands of residents.