Update 2 | Supply restored after interconnector fault in Sicily causes power outage

The power supply  has been restored following an interconnector interruption, and the majority of homes had power once again by 18:30, Enemalta said.

In a statement, Enemalta said that its technicians and engineers were working to restore electricity supply following a disruption in several localities in Malta and Gozo due to an unplanned interruption of the Malta-Italy Interconnector’s operation.

"The interconnector’s protection systems were triggered to safeguard the Maltese grid’s infrastructure from a disturbance in the Sicilian transmission network," the statement reads.

Electricity supply to several areas was disrupted at 16:45 when the company stopped receiving electricity through the interconnector, but the Delimara Power Station’s operation was not disrupted and Enemalta maintained all generating units in operation. Electricity supply was restored within a few minutes through the same power station.

Enemalta, also added that customers are requested to contact the company’s customer care team on 8007 2224 for assistance.

The newspaper can confirm that the power outage was caused by a fault in the interconnector orginating from Sicily. The interconnector provides almost half of the electricity to Malta. Electricity was restored.

Power cuts were reported in several localities across Malta, including Santa Lucija, Marsascala, Rabat, Valletta, Kalkara and Sliema.

Sources close to Enemalta said that engineers were currently switching on additional machines at the Delimara power plant to substitute capacity loss.

It is understood that investigations are currently underway to determine the exact cause of the problem.

Energy ministry says that the power outage confirms the country's need for its holistic plan

In a statement issued by the Energy ministry, the government said that the power outage confirmed how badly the holistic energy plan is needed.

“The government’s plan has always been for the country to base its energy supply on a mix and not depend on a sole provider as we have done in the past,” the statement reads.

It added that new developments in the sector, like the security of supply agreement, were aimed at tackling issues, such as the one faced tonight that were not under the government’s control.

The ministry further thanked Enemalta workers for their quick response today and further pointed out that the new measures being undertaken in the sector all aimed to ensure that Malta did not just depend on one energy type or source.