Boosting our efforts for a better service | Jonathan Cardona

As announced last week, Enemalta is doubling its planned investment in the electricity distribution infrastructure, reconfirming our commitment to keep improving the quality of service to our customers and overcome the unprecedented challenges faced in recent weeks.

Last month, the 10-day heat wave across the Mediterranean brought a sharp spike in temperatures for an unusually prolonged number of days. The World Meteorological Organisation confirmed last July as the hottest month in history. This sudden increase in temperatures took its toll on Malta's electricity grid and several neighbouring countries, including Italy, as the weakest points of underground cable networks failed, causing supply disruptions.

Climate experts are warning that these extreme weather conditions will become more frequent. This is one of the reasons why last year we launched a major consolidation of Malta’s electricity network. Through this €90 million upgrade, we already introduced significant improvements.

The difficulties of the last few weeks highlighted the need to accelerate and increase this investment. Enemalta is determined to augment the flexibility and resilience of our infrastructure as soon as possible and to increase resources to prioritise the hardest-hit areas during last month’s heatwave. We also welcome the added allocation of €70 million EU funds for the energy sector.

The electricity distribution system is a complex network, with kilometres of underground cables transmitting electricity from our sources, including the Delimara Power Station, the Malta-Italy Interconnector and renewables, to 27 distribution centres and 1,625 substations across Malta and Gozo, before reaching more than 330,000 households and businesses through a network of low voltage cables and aerial lines.

Enemalta upgraded different parts of this network in the last decade, including 16 distribution centres. Through the €90 million plan launched last year, we completed several upgrades, including 66 new substations and the extension of three distribution centres in Tarxien, Marsaskala and Mrieħel, doubling their capacity. We also intensified our programme to automate substations, enabling our engineers to remotely control these network nodes from our Network Control Centre in Marsa, for a quicker response to network difficulties.

These upgrades have already boosted the flexibility and stability of different parts of our network. The new infrastructure helped our engineers and technicians to reduce the duration of most of the supply disruptions in recent weeks, as they provided the required alternative infrastructure to reconnect our customers to the network before lengthy repairs are completed. Unfortunately, where multiple faults affected the same area, this was not possible. This is where we need to work even harder.

We will continue developing more alternative connections to keep reducing the risks of long supply disruptions to our customers. Our network reinforcement plan extends across all levels of the network, from the development of four new distribution centres in Naxxar, Siggiewi, Rabat and the Three Cities, to many new substations and kilometres of new 11-kilovolt and low voltage cable connections.

Demand for electricity is increasing at a rapid rate. The 82-megawatt rise in our peak load since last summer was unprecedented. Demand will keep increasing in coming years, as Malta rolls out its electrification and decarbonisation plans in several sectors.

Beyond our investment in the electricity grid, Enemalta is reassured by the government’s commitment to the continued development of our generation mix. Malta has already made great strides with the de-commissioning of its oil-fired power stations and the development of its first interconnection with mainland Europe. The share of renewables in our energy mix has also increased exponentially. Enemalta is working with the government for the next step in this direction, as it paves the way for new investments in large-scale off-shore renewables, overcoming the geographical limitations of our islands’ limited space for land-based wind and solar farms.

Interconnect Malta’s ongoing preparations for the second interconnector and Malta’s first large-scale battery storage systems will continue helping Enemalta meet future electricity demand while preparing our network for more grid-connected renewables.

Enemalta is also consolidating its human and technical resources to implement this multi-million capital investment in its infrastructure efficiently, and to use these improvements to deliver a better service to our customers. We are also collaborating with other entities, to pool resources and continue accelerating the implementation of our network reinforcement plans.

Through the commitment of our dedicated team, we will continue improving the quality of our services to all our customers. It’s a long road ahead of us, but we are determined to continue supporting Malta’s drive for a more sustainable future.

Jonathan Cardona is Chief Executive Officer of Enemalta plc