Natural gas tanks will not fall foul of Seveso directive - Muscat

Tanks containing liquefied natural gas and situated at Delimara will not run counter to European legislation, Labour leader Joseph Muscat said, after the Nationalist government raised fears of safety issues pertaining to Labour's energy proposal.

Muscat today defended his party's proposal for a new 200MW power station powered by LNG, whose regasification unit would be situated next to two tanks of LNG.

"The last time the Seveso Directive came into play in Malta was with Gasco and Liquigas's plant for the storage of liquefied petroleum gas, which is a more delicate chemical than LNG. There was no problem with LPG storage, and we're similarly not envisioning any problems with LNG storage," Muscat said.

In Europe, the Seveso accident in 1976 prompted the adoption of legislation aimed at the prevention and control of such accidents. The resulting 'Seveso' directive obliges member states to ensure that operators have a policy in place to prevent major accidents.

Muscat addresses the press outside the Smart City complex, a project that originally envisioned the creation of 7,000 jobs in the internet village - but since its announcement back in 2005, the project never picked up steam.

Muscat intends adopting the same 'fast-track' approach that obtained planning permission for Smart City, for his LNG terminal and power station if he is elected to power.

Muscat also addressed about the proposed plant's environmental impact, and said that when the BWSC power station was commissioned, studies in this regard were already carried out.

"That report suggested clearly that the government should opt for gasoil (or diesel), or gas, instead of heavy fuel oil."

Muscat also noted that the permit that the Delimara power station was granted to operate under was only a "temporary one, which involved a timeframe during which emissions had to be tested."

"Given that the BSWC plant took time to be commissioned, the period was already extended, but this did not keep the plant from being commissioned."

Regarding the SmartCity project, Muscat slammed the Nationalist government's pre-electoral assurances that the SmartCity project would yield wide-spread investment and job creation, while underlining Labour's commitment to seeing the project through.

Muscat said that before the last election, both Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Infrastructure Minister Austin Gatt were aware of the financial issues on the horizon, despite how Gatt had assured the country that the SmartCity project would not be disrupted in the least.

"We are today in an absurd situation where the government said that this project was not completed because a sewage pumping station was not removed as agreed."

He hit out at government for failing to make good for its promises that has resulted in a loss of 7,000 new jobs for graduates, and a loss of business for local entrepreneurs.

"The Labour Party remains committed so that, through measured cooperation with investors, we will see to it that the SmartCity project reaches its aims," Muscat said.

"This is to ensure that its obligations are honoured, and that the investment made by the Maltese people yields employment and economic growth."

He said that for this reason, Muscat said, that Labour party representatives visited the United Arab Emirates and met with the leadership of the SmartCity investors.

"We showed that the PL, as a new government if given the people's trust, remains committed to seeing this project through."

He added that during meetings held with SmartCity investors, the Labour party had already expressed its position regarding how the project should go forward. He added that Labour and the investors share the same vision, "and there is convergence on what the way forward should be."

He also called on Gonzi to shoulder the responsibility for his unfulfilled electoral promise regarding SmartCity's 7,000 new job creation, as well as other unfulfilled electoral promises such as eliminating the Mater Dei waiting lists.

Speaking about the ICT sector, Muscat said that Labour is committed to supporting businesses in the creation of new products and services.

He added that a Labour government would adopt the 'born global' approach, where by products and services are approached with an "international vision", and not simply conceived for the local market.

Muscat said a new Labour government would also attract investment from China and Singapore, "two world leaders in the ICT sector".

Muscat insisted that Labour is committed to living up to its electoral promises.

"The failure of SmartCity was not a failure of the project itself, but a failure on the government's side. The Prime Minister must answer for how this project failed so spectacularly and we believe that he will be held accountable for it during the coming election," Muscat said.

Asked to justify Labour's commitment to "not beat around the bush" and support the introduction civil unions, but not gay marriage, Muscat was evasive.

"That is because it is different. Civil unions are not gay marriage," Muscat said.

"We believe that the next development in our country is that of civil unions, which grants a measure of rights to couples of the same sex who enter into this sort of agreement," he added.

Muscat also fielded questions regarding Labour's attacks on the Marsa and Delimara power stations a "cancer factories".

Asked to support this claim, Muscat pointed to reports regarding the incidence of breathing-related health issues in the inner harbour areas, "as well as the daily experience that we are coming face to face every day in the inner harbour area, as well as in the south of Malta."

He reiterated that in refuting this claim, the government is being irresponsible. "This claim will backfire in the government's face, because it cannot hope to keep insulting the public's intelligence."