PN says carbon reductions confirms Muscat’s ‘factory of lies’

News of a fall in carbon emissions of 6.8% between 2012 and 2013 in Malta was greeted by the Nationalist opposition with some triumph, after suggesting the carbon cuts came in the first full year of the much-maligned BWSC turbines running on heavy fuel oil.

The so-called ‘factory of cancer’ became Labour’s major plank during the 2013 elections, and the springboard for its energy plan to switch to the cleaner liquefied natural gas (LNG) by building a new 200MW plant and securing a supply of gas through an 18-year agreement with a private consortium.

“Today’s statistics confirm Muscat was lying when he dubbed the power station a factory of cancer,” the PN said to the prime minister’s claims that the Delimara power station’s emissions were causing cancer in the south of the island.

MORE with data: Carbon emissions fall by 6.8% in 2013

The Eurostat data estimated that Malta had seen a reduction of 184,000 tonnes of carbon emissions, or 6.8% down from 2012’s emissions.

“Muscat was trying to scare the residents of Marsaxlokk and Birzebbugia, who a year since his election now feel betrayed by his decision to site an LNG tanker in Marsaxlokk bay,” the PN said.

The LNG tanker will be servicing the new gas plant and the Delimara phase two plant once the latter makes its switch to gas.

The PN said the phase two plant it had opened, following the controversial BWSC turbine adjudication, had generated savings of €1 million a week in electricity generation and a drastic reduction in carbon emissions. “It’s with this power station that the government today can reduce its utility bills and not with its other power plant, which is still in the pipeline.”

The government in March reduced utility tariffs by 25%. It is expected to sign a final contract with the ElectroGas consortium this week, to start work on the new gas plant.

The Delimara phase two plant will keep running on heavy fuel oil, thanks to the renewal of an integrated pollution prevention permit issued by MEPA in consultation with southern local councils and NGOs, not to enforce a switch to gas-oil before the conversion of the ‘BWSC’ turbines to LNG.

A University of West England report had also found no evidence to suggest that the Delimara Power Station was contributing to elevated concentrations of particulate matter at Birzebbuga or Marsaxlokk due to diesel engines using heavy fuel oil.

Delimara currently runs eight medium-speed combined cycle diesel engines on HFO.