Bad weather in the channel between Sicily and Malta has caused slight delays in repairs on the interconnector but the work is still expected to be completed by the third week of March. 

Enemalta chief executive Jason Vella said that damage to the southside undersea interconnector cable has been fixed and repairs are now focused on the northside cable. 

However, bad weather hitting the area and which is expected to peak on Tuesday have delayed the work. 

He told Times of Malta that talks between the insurances of Enemalta's and the ship that caused the damage are under way. Repairs are expected to cost around €11 million. 

The undersea cable was damaged last December by a ship’s anchor, with the damage causing a nationwide blackout on December 23 and a series of power cuts in subsequent weeks. 

A significant part of the cable, not just the torn section, was damaged by the anchor. 

Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

It is now being repaired by Nexans, a France-based international cabling company which first supplied and installed the interconnector. 

Energy Minister Michael Farrugia said on Friday that the government was looking at alternative energy production options such as hydrogen-powered plants, offshore floating wind turbines and a second interconnector. The island, however, had to become self-sufficient in terms of energy production. 

A report on the evaluation of these options was being compiled by the water and electricity agency and should be ready later this year. 

He also announced that 400 people had applied to be part of a pilot project to charge electric cars at night with a separate meter and at a fixed rate. 300 of these were accepted and the project, which was originally meant to target 100, is underway.