Dirty Technologies for Energy Generation

Addicted to dirty fuel
Gonzi u Muscat u l-enerġija maħmuġa

Alternattiva Demokratika – The Green Party said that both the Nationalist and Labour parties are committing themselves to energy projects which depend on fossil fuels and dirty technologies. AD said that investment in renewable energy should be stepped up in order that Malta may have clean and sustainable energy use in the years to come.

Michael Briguglio, Chairperson and spokesperson for Economy and Finance, said: “Whilst the Nationalist Government has opted for dirty fossil fuels, mainly heavy fuel oil, and is not giving the required priority to renewable energy, the Labour opposition is resorting to energy populism by promising technological quick-fixes such as Carbon Capture Storage, which is intimately tied to dirty fossil fuel industries in coal and oil. The plain truth is that dependency on dirty fossil fuels will only postpone problems related to climate change and to the ever-increasing price of such limited sources of energy. Besides, it is too risky to rely on technology that is promising to store capture underground. AD insists that Malta should shift to gas as early as possible and should increase its investment in clean renewable energy to reach the 10% target committed with the EU by 2020”.

“As far as Sargas’s argument to export carbon to Denmark, the new Danish Government is committing itself to sustainable energy reform by reducing reliance on fossil fuels and drastically cut its emissions of greenhouse gases. It is also now refusing Vattenfall’s carbon storage plan. Vattenfall is connected with Sargas. Sargas has also attempted to depict itself green by referring to the support of so-called ‘environmental’ NGO Bellona, which is sponsored by fossil fuel companies”.

Ralph Cassar, AD General Secretary and Spokesperson for Energy, Industry and Transport, said: “If one takes a good look at the Delimara power station saga, one can easily come to certain conclusions. First of all the Government is justifying its decision to choose the BWSC plant on the basis of cheaper electricity. The BWSC plan is going to make use of the dirtiest fuels, heavy fuel oil, with additional technology which cleans emissions and creates tonnes of dirty waste in the process. Muscat’s and Labour’s “discovery” is nothing but another smokescreen: technology pushed forward by the coal and oil industry. It burns coal mixed with other chemicals – this means that we are back to the use of dirty fuels. Dirty waste will also be created. Ironically, the use of coal means that the amount of CO2, the gas which we are supposed to reduce, will increase. The difference is that this is supposed to be captured forever. This technology depends completely on the issue of whether this gas can be stored permanently and securely – something which is risky and not developed enough. Besides, this technology is considered as an excuse for coal to continue being used. This is another way for us to continue our complete dependence on dirty fossil fuels. On this issue both the Prime Minister and Joseph Muscat agree: both want us to burn more dirty fuels at the Delimara power station”.

Carmel Cacopardo, Spokesperson for Sustainable Development and Home Affairs, said: “Next Monday MEPA will decide whether the Delimara Power Station extension will make use of Heavy Fuel Oil or gasoil. The best choice of fuel in the short term, that is the use of gas, was abandoned because the Government kept procrastinating over the years and did not develop the necessary infrastructure for it. This is the background of the Sargas/PL proposal. Although Sargas’s proposal sounds interesting because it hits the most sensitive issue for the Maltese (electricity tariffs), the proposal makes use of a dirty energy source and proposes to solve the emissions issue by suggesting that these should be sent elsewhere by means of Carbon Capture technology. This in itself does not make the proposal one based on clean energy. Besides, this proposal is still in its experimental stages.

The Sargas proposal is also still unclear where financing is concerned. The fact that Sargas did not guarantee the length of validity of their proposal, leads to the conclusion that what is being proposed will eventually change. In fact during their presentation, Sargas officials said that the price of 7c5 per unit of electricity is only in relation to energy generation (raw cost of energy). Other expenses have to be added which depend on the agreement negotiated on the plant. In other words this means that the expense of the plant (€900 million) has to be added pro rata with the payment of 7c5 per unit of electricity on which a lot of emphasis is being put.

Added to this one has to consider the social cost related to Enemalta employees. Sargas’s proposal, which has been accepted by the Labour Party, will endanger the employment of Enemalta employees involved in the generation of energy”.

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Teknologija Mahmuga ghall-Generazzjoni tal-Energija – AD

L-Alternattiva Demokratika – The Green Party qalet li kemm il-PN kif ukoll il-PL qeghdin jikkommettu ruhhom ghal progetti ta’ energija li jiddependu miz-zejt u teknologija mahmuga. L-AD qalet li l-investiment fl-energija rinovabbli ghandu jizdied biex Malta tkun tista tibda taghmel uzu minn energija sostenibbli fis-snin li gejjin.

Michael Briguglio, ic-Chairperson tal-AD u Kelliem dwar l-Ekonomija u l-Finanzi, qal: “Filwaqt li l-Gvern Nazzjonalista ghazel li jibqa jahdem biz-zejt u mhux qieghed jaghti l-importanza mehtiega ghall-energija rinovabbli, l-oppozizzjoni Laburista qed tipprova tinghogob mal-poplu b’weghdi dwar teknologija li ssolvi l-problemi malajr bhal dik tal-Carbon Capture Storage li hija marbuta mal-industriji tal-faham u taz-zejt. Il-verita hi li d-dipendenza fuq iz-zejt qeghda biss tipposponi l-problemi marbuta mat-tibdil fil-klima u mal-prezzijiet dejjem jizdiedu taz-zejt li dejjem qed jonqos bhala rizors. Barra minn hekk, huwa ta’ riskju li toqghod fuq teknologija li twieghed li taqbad u tahzen il-karbonju taht l-art. L-AD tinsisti li Malta ghandha taqleb ghall-gass kemm jista’ jkun malajr u zzid l-investiment f’energija rinovabbli u nadifa biex tkun tista’ tilhaq il-mira ta’ 10% skont il-ftehim mal-UE sal-2020.”

“Dwar l-argument ta’ Sargas biex tesporta l-karbonju lejn id-Danimarka, il-Gvern il-gdid tad-Danimarka qed jikkommetti ruhu biex jaghmel riforma fl-energija billi jnaqqas id-dipendenza tal-pajjiz fuq iz-zejt, inaqqas l-emissjonijiet tal-gassijiet serra u jaqleb ghal energija nadifa. Qieghed ukoll jirrifjuta il-pjan ta’ Vattenfall ghall-hazna tal-karbonju. Vattenfall ghandu rabtiet ma’ Sargas. Sargas qed tipprova tpingi lilha nnifisha bhala “green” billi ghamlet referenza ghall-appogg tal-hekk imsejha ONG “ambjentali” Bellona, li hija sponsorjata minn kumpaniji taz-zejt”.

Ralph Cassar, Segretarju Generali u kelliem ghall-energija, industrija u trasport, qal: “Jekk wiehed ihares sew lejn is-saga tal-power station ta’ Delimara facli jasal ghal certi konkluzjonijiet. L-ewwelnett il-Gvern gab ir-raguni ta’ elettriku irhis biex jiggustifika l-ghazla tal-impjant tal-BWSC. L-impjant tal-BWSC se juza wiehed mill-aktar fuels mahmugin – il-heavy fuel oil, b’teknologija addizzjonali li tnaddaf l-emmissjonijiet li tohloq tunnellati ta’ skart mahmug. L-“iskoperta” ta’ Muscat u l-Partit Laburista m’hi xejn ghajr aktar bzar fl-ghajnejn. Teknologija imbuttata ‘l quddiem mill-industrija taz-zejt u tal-faham. Tahraq faham imhallat ma affarijiet ohra – igifieri hawn ergajna ghandna l-uzu ta’ fuel mahmug. Jinholoq skart mahmug ukoll. Anzi l-uzu tal-faham ifisser li l-ammont ta’ CO2, il-gass li suppost irridu innaqqsu jizdied. Id-differenza hija li dan suppost jinqabad ghal dejjem. It-teknologija tiddependi kompletament fuq jekk hux possibbli li dan il-gass jinhazen b’mod permanenti u sikur – xi haga li hija riskjuza u mhix zviluppata bizzejjed. Barra minn hekk din it-teknologija hija meqjusa bhala skuza biex ikompli jintuza l-faham. Ghal darb’ohra dan huwa mod kif inkomplu niddependu ghal kollox mill-industrija tal-fossil fuels mahmugin. F’din il-haga kemm il-Prim Ministru, kif ukoll Joseph Muscat qed jaqblu: it-tnejn iriduna naharqu l-aktar fuels mahmugin fil-power station ta’ Delimara”.

Carmel Cacopardo, Kelliem ghall-Izvilupp Sostenibbli u l-Intern, qal: “Nhar it-Tnejn li gej il-MEPA ser tiehu decizjoni dwar jekk l-estensjoni tal-Power Station ta’ Delimara hix ser tahdem bil-Heavy Fuel Oil jew bil-gasoil. L-ahjar ghazla ta’ fuel li setghet issir “in the short term” jigifieri l-uzu tal-gass giet skartata ghax il-Gvern kaxkar saqajh tul is-snin u ma hejjiex l-infrastruttura necessarja.

Dan hu l-isfond ghall-proposta tas-Sargas/PL. Ghalkemm il-proposta tas-Sargas tidher interessanti ghax tolqot l-iktar punt sensittiv ghall-Maltin (il-prezz tal-elettriku) il-proposta tuza sors ta’ energija mahmuga u tipproponi li ssolvi l-issue tal-emmissjonijiet billi tipproponi li dawn jixtehtu banda ohra bl-uzu tat-teknologija tal-Carbon Capture. Din fiha innifisha ma taghmilx il-proposta wahda ta’ energija nadifa. Apparti dan din il-proposta ghadha fi stadju esperimentali.

Il-proposta tas-Sargas ghadha mhix cara l-anqas fl-aspett finanzjarju taghha. Il-fatt li Sargas ma tawx garanzija dwar ghal kemm zmien hi valida l-proposta taghhom iwassal ghall-konkluzjoni li dak propost eventwalment jinbidel. Fil-fatt waqt il-presentazzjoni li ghamlu l-ufficjali ta’ Sargas qalu li l-ispiza ta’ 7c5 ghal kull unit ta’ elettriku hi biss in konnessjoni mal-generazzjoni tal-energija (raw cost of energy). Maghha jridu jizdiedu spejjez ohra li jiddependu fuq xi ftehim ikun negozjat dwar l-impjant. Fi ftit kliem dan ifisser li l-ispiza tal-impjant (€900 miljun) trid tizdied pro rata mal-hlas ta’ 7c5 ghal kull unit ta’ elettriku li qed isir emfasi kbir fuqu.

Ma dan trid tizdied ukoll l-ispiza socjali relatata mal-impiegi fl-Enemalta. Bil-proposta tas-Sargas li l-Partit Laburista accetta jkun fil-periklu l-impieg tal-haddiema tal-Enemalta involuti fil-generazzjoni tal-energija.”

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