PN takes government to task over extended use of HFO

The Nationalist Party has accused Prime Minister Joseph Muscat of breaching "a solemn promise" he made in December 2012 when he declared that a Labour government would immediately switch to diesel if he were elected to power.

The PL's electoral programme did not feature any commitment to shift to diesel in the period before the new gas infrastructure is in place, but in the past Joseph Muscat had pledged to shift to diesel.

Even before, the Labour Party had issued a statement urging MEPA to choose gasoil instead of HFO. The statement was issued regarding MEPA's decision allowing the use of HFO when issuing an Integrated Pollution Prevention & Control (IPPC) permit for the new Delimara power plant extension. On that occasion Labour said it was "reiterating its electoral promise that a new Labour government would immediately commence the process to convert the Delimara plant firstly to use gasoil and subsequently to gas."

Last week, the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) permit authorising the operation of the Delimara Power Station Extension using heavy fuel oil (HFO) was extended from June 2013 to no later than March 2014.

In a statement, the PN said Joseph Muscat failed to honour his promise to residents living in the South of Malta.

"This could either mean that the Prime Minister has admitted a mistake or that he is being irresponsible and is endangering the public's health through the extension of HFO use," the PN said this evening.

Opposition spokespersons George Pullicino, Charlo Bonnici and Ryan Callus said that at no point was the MEPA board informed with the extension.

"The board should have been consulted before such a decision was taken. Why was it quietly approved? Was there political interference?" the MPs said.

When MaltaToday had asked the Energy Ministry whether government intended to convert the existing Delimara plant to diesel, a spokesperson said "the government's policy is to switch from heavy fuel oil to gas in the short term."