Wind farm plans submerged under endless need for studies – PL

Labour shadow minister for environment Leo Brincat has poured cold water over government predictions that Malta will have its own wind farm at Sikka l-Bajda in the near future.

“There’s five years left for this project to happen, if it will happen. The government takes refuge in its ‘studies’ not to do anything, and now it says it needs two years’ research on the Sikka l-Bajda wind far. Which means there will be nothing by the time of the next general elections,” Brincat said.

The €300 million offshore wind farm project at Sikka l-Bajda, off Mellieha, is believed to be technically feasible and awaiting investment. But MEPA has not yet concluded its environmental impact assessment on the wind farm project.

Brincat said that even a government report promoting technical information on the prospective wind farm, that retailed at €3,000, was never taking up by investors. “They are not taking Lawrence Gonzi’s projects seriously,” he quipped.

“How can they take the government seriously when it tries to sell such a report at that price, and then announce it needs even more studies to finalise the previous studies?”

Brincat said Labour’s stance on wind energy remains prudent, but that it cannot stand silent when it sees Malta being ridiculed by foreign investors.

“We’re spending millions buying oil, and risk spending millions in EU fines for not reaching our 10% renewable energy target by 2020. We’ve procrastinated on natural gas and lowered our environmental standards on the BWSC contract,” Brincat said.

The MP said the government was obliged to reveal whether the EC had demanded to know its action plan on the renewable energy targets, and whether these were tied to the wind farm project.