Enemalta has been under renewed scrutiny after persistent power cuts plagued thousands of households and businesses for the second consecutive summer.
Despite the interruptions, the company remains confident that its efforts to reinforce the distribution network are yielding positive results.
Enemalta says it has devised a long-term strategy to ensure households are brought back onto the grid in the shortest time possible whenever faults occur.
Which are the sources of electricity?
Enemalta supplies electricity from three main sources: the Delimara power station (providing 70% of the demand), the Malta-Sicily interconnector at Magħtab (20%), and various renewable energy sources like solar panels on rooftops and other facilities across the country.
Is there enough generation capacity?
According to Enemalta, the sources of power feeding into the national grid have a combined nominal generation capacity of 945MW. Peak electricity demand increased from 414MW in 2011 to 663MW in 2023, with demand exceeding 600MW during the third week of July.
Currently, the highest demand registered is equivalent to about two-thirds of Enemalta’s generation capacity. A second interconnector will further boost the potential electricity supply.
Enemalta operates a 1,700km-long distribution network, consisting of four distribution centres, 21 primary substations (including two in Gozo and one on Comino), and around 1,650 secondary substations.
How electricity reaches households and businesses
Electricity in Malta travels through a four-level network with different voltage levels. It starts at 132kV from Delimara and Magħtab, going to four distribution centres in Marsa, Kappara and Mosta. The voltage is then reduced to 33kV and distributed to 21 primary substations.
From there, it is sent through 11kV circuits to around 1,650 secondary substations, where the voltage is further reduced to 400/230V for use in homes, businesses and other buildings.
Why do cables develop faults?
Cables need to be joined to cover long distances, and these joints are the most fragile parts of the network. Over time, they can become faulty and need replacement, often causing power outages.
Why the need for generators?
In the past weeks, Enemalta deployed 15 diesel-powered generators in various locations around Malta. These generators are meant to temporarily bring stranded substations back online, allowing Enemalta to work safely on repairs. However, some areas still reported power cuts because generators could not handle the load required by certain substations.
Does increased demand require laying more cables?
According to Ryan Fava, Enemalta’s executive chair, the issue is not just about adding more cables but improving the entire infrastructure, including adding more substations. The network must grow alongside the country’s economic development to avoid issues, he says.
Enemalta has identified that substations are generally fed power through a single source, making them vulnerable to faults. To address this, they are reinforcing the medium and high-voltage network by connecting substations to ensure each has multiple power sources.
This creates alternative routes for electricity, making it easier to maintain supply during faults.
Future outlook
As another heatwave looms, Fava assures that the situation is better than last year, with fewer faults reported daily. While there may still be problems in areas where reinforcement works are not yet completed, Enemalta says it is actively working to strengthen the network.