The Malta Developers Association has teamed up with the Water Services Corporation to set up a joint venture company, Malta Developers Green Energy Limited, that is to build a number of solar farms on the roofs of all the WSC’s reservoirs.
This public private partnership was officially formed on Monday, 3 April, 2017, in a ceremony at Castille presided by Minister Konrad Mizzi and involves both developers and those involved in the importation of photovoltaic panels. The Government will own 51% of the shares in the new company and the MDA the remaining 49% with the right to appoint the Chairperson.
Land over 13,000 m2 has been identified in Attard covering three reservoirs. The solar farms will generate around a megawatt of electricity, enough to power the houses of 400 families and will lower Malta’s carbon dioxide emissions by 20,000 tonnes.
MDA President Sandro Chetcuti.said he felt honoured that the MDA had obtained the results it has achieved thanks to a Government that listened to it and understood it, a Government that was truly pro-business.
“We have known for a long time what direction we should head, that is towards clean energy. Up to 2013, however, nothing was done since there was a lack of appetite and a lack of will to move on the right road,” Mr Chetcuti said “Now, thanks to the work and will shown by the Government at last we are on the right road.”
Dr Mizzi said this agreement will strengthen government policy on clean energy while enabling it to reach EU targets on renewable energy. Solar panel importers will be benefiting from the arrangement and WSC land will be put to a cleaner use.
The Government has worked unceasingly in the past four years so that the energy sector will progress. “We have put down the cost of water and electricity, closed the power station and introduced LNG,” Dr Mizzi said. “Now we are continuing to move in the direction of Europe, which puts renewable energy first followed by gas. We invested hugely, €33 million, in renewable energy”, it has already imported 85 MW of renewable solar energy and this agreement will continue to enlarge this sector.
5 April, 2017