In view of recent statements that have appeared in the local media on the future installation of power turbines at the Delimara Power Station, Friends of the Earth Malta together with the environment NGOs  Flimkien għal Ambjent Ahjar, The Gaia Foundation, and the Ramblers’ Association, without going into the merits of who should be awarded a public tender, have called upon the Government to abide by its pledges to ensure that all future power generation is as clean as possible. The decision must take into account not only financial cost but the health of the local population, the state of the environment, Malta’s international commitments on climate change and the relevant EU regulations on carbon and other emissions, as well as possible penalties that would be incurred by the EU for non compliance.

Malta has still to address the sad and pitiful saga related to the Marsa Power Station that has run on Heavy Fuel Oil. It would therefore be totally unacceptable that any conventional turbines newly commissioned would once again run on fuels that produce greater toxic emissions. While gas would be the preferred cleaner and more efficient option as soon as its use becomes possible, the fuels used until then should certainly not be the more polluting ones. Government should give a clear guarantee to the public that this will not be the case.