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Qatar eyes €1 billion investment in Enemalta
The government edges closer to securing a vital strategic partnership with Qatargas.
18 April 2012, 12:00am
Karl Stagno-Navarra
Karl Stagno-Navarra
3 min read
An employee at a Qatargas installation in Doha, Qatar
The oil- and gas-rich Gulf State of Qatar is reportedly set to invest close to €1 billion in Malta, as government edged closer yesterday to secure Qatargas as Enemalta's future strategic partner.
Senior Maltese and Qatari sources told MaltaToday, that technical teams from Qatargas and Qatar Petroleum (QP) are expected in Malta in the coming weeks to inspect facilities at Delimara, which is gearing up to operate a brand new plant, which will be converted to run on natural gas in 2014.
According to sources, talks held on Tuesday at Castille where Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi hosted the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, have "paved the way" towards the agreement which is expected to be reached in the coming months between the two states.
MaltaToday is reliably informed that through the strategic partnership with Enemalta, Qatargas will also be investing in setting up a Mediterranean distribution hub for natural gas.
Areas along the Delimara coast are currently being earmarked to host the docking and bunkering facilities for the storage and distribution of natural gas, with Europe and Africa being the markets to be supplied from Malta.
A senior government source told MaltaToday that talks held recently in Doha between Finance Minister Tonio Fenech and Qatar's minister of energy and industry Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada, continued yesterday on the sidelines of the Emir's State Visit.
Both ministers also signed a bilateral agreement in the presence of the Emir and Prime Minister Gonzi.
Addressing the media shortly after the talks, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said that "more discussions were necessary, but one of the topics discussed was energy."
He added that this was "in line with government's drive to eventually convert the Delimara power station from Heavy Fuel Oil to gas."
Gonzi announced that in the wake of how Malta's relationship with Qatar have developed over the past year, government has taken the political decision to open an embassy in Doha.
"We have always enjoyed good ties with Qatar, which gew even stronger throughout last year when Qatar used Malta as its hub for sending humanitarian aid to Libya during the uprising," Gonzi said, as he praised the Emir for his commitment towards the Libyan people.
Qatar also provided the air ambulances which ferried injured Libyan civilians for treatment in Maltese hospitals, and also paid for their families while they convalesced.
Accompanied by a radiant spouse, Emir Al-Thani led a three-minister strong delegation, which besides the minister for energy and industry, included foreign affairs minister Khalid Bin Mohammad Al-Attiyah and Sheikh Jassem Bin Abdulaziz Bin Jassem, Qatar's minister of business and trade.
Welcomed by President of the Republic George Abela, Emir Al-Thani and his delegation were hosted to State Lunch at the Palace in Valletta, which was followed by a series of bilateral talks.
Before departing for Doha, Emir Al-Thani and Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi witnessed the signing of six bilateral agreements between the two countries, which covered education, health, employment and the economy.
Ministers Tonio Fenech, Tonio Borg and Dolores Cristina, and Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Tancred Tabone were signatories on the Malta side.
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gborgos: mela ma mortx ghall-pellegrinagg, int?
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Mela tajjeb li tibda b'tieghek Giovanni ghax ilsien hazin daqs tieghek ghad irridu nisimghu. Hallina hall!
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Kemm jinbidlu iz-zminijiet hux Suuuuuur Demartino?.Nahseb li imnalla se jkunu dawk tal-habbaziz u t-tarbux fuq rashom biex ta GONZIKARETTAPN jiehdu ftit tan-nifs imbasta kollkhom EWROPA TIELA U EWROPA NIEZLA.U Bil-haqq kont tfarfart mit tkaxkira li laqqat habib?
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Huh - and this my friends is what the charade of the last few days was all about - the sudden love affair with the medieval kingdom of Qatar!
By investment - read spend! Qatar will be making several billion out of us Maltese. I am sure the fiends at the Malta embassy we are going to open will be treated very well!
No wonder our politicians were so excited - this is a great opportunity for them - even better than the heavy oil deal!
In the meantime - i suggest that the CEO of enemalta throws a really big party and charge it to his company's credit card - say maybe another 75,000? Hold it it Qatar - away from prying eyes!
P.S. Dear Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (L) - if you are reading this, no offence - you are doing what is good for business but we know our politicians too well. As for Sheikha Moza Al-Thani - respect girl .. very nice!
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Il-Malti lsienu hazin! Qed jghidu li l-lejburisti kollha, minn Joseph Muscat u Tony Zarb sa l-anqas kummentatur haw taht, kollha, tghidx kemm qed jaghmlu noveni u ljieli ta' talb, isumu ecc ecc biex dan il-ftehim jirnexxi! U jien nemminhom b'qalbi kollha.
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Mela ejja nanalizzaw ftit il-kalkoli ta' gonzipn u dak li qed jghaddi dalghodu minn mohh l-istrategisti tieghu fosthom gonzipn junior u austingattpn junior: "minhabba dak ix-xifajk ta' franco debono tlifna b'kollox 26576 vot u bis-sahha tal-holm u tal-ispin li qed inxerrdu dawn il-granet dwar l-investiment mill-Qatar fl-Enemalta irbahna 1467 vot. Jigifieri baqaghlna ftit x'naqdfu ... ma gara xejn .... issa ghall-istorja li jmiss .... mela, issa jmiss li nharrfu xi haga gdid dwar investiment mill-Kuwait ..... u biex tas-south nikkalmawhom, nghidu li l-Kuwait se tinvesti fil-lukanda fejn qabel kien hemm il-Jerma .... tajjeb, nimxu fuq din l-ispin gdida issa .... tlaqna .... ejja nibdew billi ncemplu lil PBS halli nxerrdu l-ewwel sinjali .....
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Why not "spread the wealth" and place the the mediterranean hub for distribution of natural gas in Marsamxett instead?
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GONZIPN WILL DO ANYTHING TO EARN SOME VOTES,NOW HE IS PROMISING HEAVEN ON EARTH....GONZIPN WHAT HAPPENED TO "HEAVY FUEL OIL"?
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Jigifieri industrija ohra essenzjali ghall-pajjiz sejra tinbiegh lill-barrani? Bieghu bank b'kemm kien jaqla' ftit fuq sentejn biss, meta tawh iktar propjeta immobbiljari milli hallas ghal kollox. Franza [u bhala ohrajn] kisret kull regola biex izzomm industriji essenzjali f'idejn Francizi u ahna ntajru kollox biex nghattu l-inkapacita tal-gvern li jamministra. Enemalta spiccat b'dejn ta' xi sitt mitt miljun Euro u d-dawl xorta jinqata' [fi tletin sena Londra qatt ma nqataghli], 'l-isazzjonijiet tal-elettriku xorta ghadhom idahhnu u m'ghandnix alternattiva jekk kollox imur zmerc. Issa hasbu fil-fergha minn Sqallija. Hawwadni ha nifhmek
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We will soon start hearing that the pn will reduce the electricity tariffs as part of its election campaign
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@Micel I agree , why going for HFO unless there was back handling. Until Mizzi shows how the €4 million commissions were distributed I have every right to think that government officials were involved in unsavoury dealings.
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"..........six bilateral agreements between the two countries, which covered education, health, employment and the economy."..... but no cheap OIL and GAS agreements. Looks like Qatar took a leaf from Dubai's book and soon we'll hear about SMART GAS.
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Does part of this "investment" include paying off some of Enemalta's massive debt, or is that STILL going to be a millstone round the taxpayers' neck.
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Bla zejt issa ta' Gonzi, mill gas irrid_ Il_king tal-U-Turns!
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Jigifieri industrija ohra essenzjali ghall-pajjiz sejra tinbiegh lill-barrani? Bieghu bank b'kemm kien jaqla' ftit fuq sentejn biss, meta tawh iktar propjeta immobbiljari milli hallas ghal kollox. Franza [u bhala ohrajn] kisret kull regola biex izzomm industriji essenzjali f'idejn Francizi u ahna ntajru kollox biex nghattu l-inkapacita tal-gvern li jamministra. Enemalta spiccat b'dejn ta' xi sitt mitt miljun Euro u d-dawl xorta jinqata' [fi tletin sena Londra qatt ma nqataghli], 'l-isazzjonijiet tal-elettriku xorta ghadhom idahhnu u m'ghandnix alternattiva jekk kollox imur zmerc. Issa hasbu fil-fergha minn Sqallija. Hawwadni ha nifhmek
Mark Fenech •
He added that this was "in line with government's drive to eventually convert the Delimara power station from Heavy Fuel Oil to gas."
Imma kif ma jistħux jgħidu dan il-kliem, meta dak l-impjant kellu jsir bil-gas mal-ewwel u issa rridu nonfqu l-flus biex nikkonvertuħ biex jaħdem bil-gas. Imma din ma statux issibuha wkoll fil-"yellow pages" bħal ma sibtu l-impjant li jaħdem bil-"heavy fuel Oil", jew kien importanti li l-ewwel xi ħadd jew xi wħud idaħħlu l-kummissjoni ta' aktar minn 4 miljuni.
Imbaghad jistaqsu minn fejn sejjer iġib il-flus il-PL meta jkun fil-gvern. Jekk jaqta dan il-ħela u ħafna serq ieħor ikoll ikun biżżejjed.
Fittxu warbu min hemm ħalli l-Poplu jkollu gvern suret in-nies.
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It seems that the election is really very near. Deal to be concluded in the coming months, he said. So, instead of sending letters with promises this time, we shall be having such grandoise promises of things to come - the usual chimeras.And, by the way, since when was this government committed to operate the new power station by gas? This is the first time i heard it.
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It is good to hear about investments like this but it is very good to be true !!
Still, if the Govt and Enemalta had really planed for the ultimate conversion to Gas of the generation plant why did they invested hundred of millions on the BWSC plant that will need huge investments just to make it work with Gas?? And not only that, the BWSC plant if converted to Gas will have huge parts of it's existant plant useless thus making the initial investment a huge failure!! The most reasonable way would have been for Enemalta to invest in Combined Cycle Plants run with Gas Turbines that will not need too much investment to convert it!!
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It is good to hear about investments like this but it is very good to be true !!
Still, if the Govt and Enemalta had really planed for the ultimate conversion to Gas of the generation plant why did they invested hundred of millions on the BWSC plant that will need huge investments just to make it work with Gas?? And not only that, the BWSC plant if converted to Gas will have huge parts of it's existant plant useless thus making the initial investment a huge failure!! The most reasonable way would have been for Enemalta to invest in Combined Cycle Plants run with Gas Turbines that will not need too much investment to convert it!!
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Now that the smoke from the Delimara plant has been siphoned off where it's dark and rewarding, this Qatar investment should provide some respite and good news to the long suffering Maltese consumer. Especially the provision of a hub. This fits Malta to a tee. Plenty of time later to flush out and "embody" the smoke, hoping everybody will get their just reward.
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Mur ara l-lejburisti kollha, minn Joseph 'l isfel u minn Tony Zarb 'l isfel x'jitolbu 'l Alla bil-qalb u bil-herqa halli l-affari tirnexxi. ZGUR, ZGUR u ZGUR li hekk hu. Hux veru Micel?
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Mur ara l-lejburisti kollha, minn Joseph 'l isfel u minn Tony Zarb 'l isfel x'jitolbu 'l Alla bil-qalb u bil-herqa halli l-affari tirnexxi. ZGUR, ZGUR u ZGUR li hekk hu. Hux veru Micel?
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He added that this was "in line with government's drive to eventually convert the Delimara power station from Heavy Fuel Oil to gas." I am baffled that he has the nerve and audacity to state such a thing when it was his government that against all advice lowered the standards of emission that his own government made and went on to install the equipment that earned his friends and friends of friends millions in commissions.Besides the obvious side kicks that went on throughout the financing and purchasing. Even if the electricity goes down to zero Dr Gonzi will I ever vote for you again. Not to be trusted.
