The government will be allocating €12 million to be able to have access to an extra 60 megawatts of electricity supply when the demand surges, Energy Minister Miriam Dalli has told Times of Malta.
Malta suffered 10 days of persistent power cuts last July, as soaring temperatures surged the demand for power in a bid to keep cool.
In last week’s budget, the government said Enemalta would be renting out what it called “emergency plants”, which would have the capacity to supply an additional 60 megawatts of power should one of the country’s principal electricity supplies suffer damage during peak demand.
In comments to Times of Malta, Dalli said that, in the years before 2022, electricity demand while the country experienced high temperatures increased by a median of 3.5%. However, last year, this increased dramatically to 14%.
“It could very well be that things continue going in this direction. I think all of us realise that climate change is real and we are experiencing the effects of it year after year,” she said.
“So, we are planning to have this extra capacity available, an additional 60 megawatts, in case one of our primary sources of electricity is damaged.”
Asked to explain how Malta will be procuring this additional supply and how it is expected to work, Dalli said that Enemalta is currently working to issue a tender that will include all the technical specifications about what kind of equipment is necessary to provide this excess capacity.
As to whether this additional 60 megawatts will be necessary once the second interconnector becomes operational, Dalli said this will depend on the trends observed in demand behaviour.
“We will be carrying out regular studies that see how demand changes from one year to the next and we will adapt our plans according to the outcome of those studies,” she said.
“How demand is changing as well as other circumstances, such as changes in temperature generally, will give us a good indication as to the capacity that the country needs.”
For 10 days in July, persistent power cuts left Malta with few options to keep cool, as temperatures soared above 40°C. People found themselves sleeping outside or in their cars with the engine running in an attempt to beat the heat.
Businesses also suffered as a result of the prolonged power outages, with supermarkets forced to throw away freezers full of spoilt food and restaurants and hotels having to turn away clients.
As Enemalta workers worked round the clock to repair high voltage cable faults that continued to cripple electricity provisions, generator sales surged, according to suppliers.
Dalli said last week that Malta’s energy infrastructure will be getting a €55 million upgrade next year, half of which will be obtained through EU funds.