No concrete plans yet for Marsa power station site

Energy Minister Joe Mizzi yesterday said that the government was still evaluating options for the Marsa power station site and that it had not yet decided on any specific plans.

“Technical persons are currently looking at possible ways forward for the Enemalta land,” the minister told this newspaper yesterday.

“There are certain ideas and we have held discussions with the other shareholders, Shanghai Electric Power. It seems we are on the same wavelength as concerns the development of the area, and the people of Marsa are also being kept in mind,” the minister told this newspaper.

Mizzi was not willing, however, to mention any ideas currently on the table, and would not confirm whether there will be a park.

He did state, nevertheless, that the area would include an open space: “We will not forget the people of Marsa, and we will create recreational areas. We are not only considering the business aspect, but the holistic aspect.”

Asked about demolition works, he said they were on target, and works were expected to be concluded by the end of 2017, but they could actually be finished earlier.

The minister believes that the historic parts of the old power station will remain: “We will wait for the final report to see how we will move forward.”

The Marsa power station was switched off in March 2015 and kept on cold standby until early 2017, when it was completely disconnected. The plant is currently being dismantled.

The decommissioning and dismantling of the station forms part of Enemalta’s plan to transform the country’s electricity generation sector by ending the use of oil-fired generators and shifting to cleaner technologies, including gasfired plants, the Malta-Italy Interconnector and renewable sources.