Electricity demand hits record high as power cuts persist amid red heat warning

Updated 2.44pm

Electricity demand surpassed Malta's previous all-time peak on Monday as the country endures exceptionally high temperatures, while residents in several localities continue to experience repeated power cuts.

Enemalta said "electricity generation capacity remains sufficient to meet current demand" and the current power interruptions "are the result of faults on the distribution network". 

The company said electricity demand on Monday exceeded the previous all-time peak of 663MW recorded in 2023. They will not have the exact figure until the end of the day.

Enemalta is deploying mobile generators to substations as its engineers and technical crews work to restore electricity supply affected by cable faults in Birkirkara, Balzan and Iklin.

Red heat warning

The outages come as Malta swelters under a red heat warning, with temperatures forecast to be as high as 40°C on Monday and 41°C on Tuesday. 

Saturday was the hottest ever July day in Malta, with temperatures reaching 42.5°C.

Air conditioning helps people stay cool and reduces the risk of heat-related illness in vulnerable people, making power outages extremely uncomfortable. 

The deputy mayor of Iklin, Dorian Sciberras, said in his town the power went out seven times in 12 hours.

“This is unacceptable,” Sciberras said in a Facebook post on Monday.

Mobile generators

A Birkirkara resident commenting on his post said he had experienced three power cuts within 12 hours in his area.

On Monday morning, parts of Birkirkara again experienced a power outage.

On Sunday night, power outages were reported in several localities including parts of Mellieha and Xemxija, Birkirkara, Balzan, Sliema, Lija and Attard.

In a statement on Monday, Enemalta said Birkirkara, Balzan and Iklin experienced four separate cable faults that were unrelated incidents on different cables. 

"Works commenced immediately," the company said.

A spokesperson for Enemalta pointed out the company is "in the midst of an extensive, multi-year investment programme to strengthen and future-proof the distribution network".

"As part of this programme, reinforcement works are also planned in Birkirkara, Balzan and Iklin to further strengthen the locality’s electricity distribution network and support increasing demand," he said.

He added "significant upgrades" have already been carried out but works are ongoing.

"Currently, to minimise disruption and restore electricity to affected customers as quickly as possible, Enemalta is deploying mobile generators to the affected substations," he said.

The affected substations will be reconnected to the electricity grid and the temporary generators removed once the cable faults have been repaired.

Four nights in a row

Residents in Triq ix-Xitwa in St Paul’s Bay say they have experienced overnight power cuts for four consecutive nights.

A resident, who asked not to be named, told Times of Malta that the power outages on Triq ix-Xitwa occur at night and last for over seven hours “from night till the early morning”.

“Spending entire nights without electricity, fans or air conditioning in these temperatures is extremely difficult and raises serious concerns about the wellbeing of families, young children, elderly residents, and vulnerable people,” she said.

The resident said repeated attempts at contacting Enemalta for information were met with: “I don’t know”.

“What has made this situation even more frustrating is the lack of communication. We repeatedly contacted Enemalta, hoping for information or reassurance, but we were not given any estimated time for when the electricity would be restored. The only response we received was, ‘I don’t know’,” the resident said.

She added they feel “abandoned and ignored”.

The issue “does not appear to be a one-off incident”, she noted as she pointed to nearby businesses also repeatedly losing power while other properties in surrounding areas remain unaffected.

She called for compensation for the disruption of prolonged, repeated power outages.

“We also believe that residents who have suffered repeated and prolonged outages deserve fair compensation for the disruption, hardship, spoiled food, sleepless nights, and the impact on our daily lives. Families should not be expected to endure these conditions without accountability,” she said.

A spokesperson for Enemalta said the "necessary works have been carried out and the issue has been addressed".