All Press Releases
| Finding Solutions to Malta's Carbon Dioxide Emissions |
| Friday, 12 October 2007 00:00 |
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The Carbon Dioxide allowance asked for in the 2008-2012 National Allocation Plan for Malta has been trimmed by the EU. In view of the intention of Malta Environment Planning Authority to contest the issue, Friends of the Earth (Malta) would like to make the following comments. The basic scenario adopted for calculating the desired Carbon dioxide emissions from the two power stations is again a Business-as-Usual one. This may have been encouraged by the generous emission levels allowed in the first National Allocation Plan (2005-2007).A Gross Domestic Product - Electrical energy demand correlation derived from data for 1995-2005, was used to predict future demand to 2012.  Extra allowances for Mater Dei Hospital, Smart City and for possible new comers on the generating scene were also asked for. As the energy demand for Mater Dei was well known by 2005, it should have formed part of the general request for carbon dioxide emissions. Moreover, despite promises of renewable energy contributions to cut-backs in carbon dioxide emissions, not a single renewable energy device was included in Mater Dei. No basis is given for the Smart City generation allocation (40 Megawatt in all). Energy efficiency drives carry no targets’ the general tone is of good intentions that “are not yet government policyâ€.  The potential renewable energy contribution was hampered from the start by the (2005) refusal to consider on-shore wind against the advice of United Kingdom consultants Mott-Macdonald and most local experts. The contribution from photovoltaic cells will not reach any significant value in this trading period, though this is no reason for not making every effort to install photovoltaic, energy from waste using landfill gas for electricity generation seems to be the only firm hope, and even here we are already behind schedule. Possible solutions: fighting it out in the European Court; buying carbon credits; paying fines for the extra emissions. These last two are bound to be very expensive. The quickest way out of the impasse is to give up the allowance for potential new entrants, which the National Allocation Plan says is quite unlikely to be called upon. That would represent a cut of 26% in our carbon dioxide emissions, which almost matches the European Union demand. The residue could probably be met by targeted energy efficiency drives. |
