News • 07 September 2003

Mater Dei hospital to require as much energy as Gozo’s inhabitants

Enemalta on verge of opting for third Delimara generator

Julian Manduca
The new Mater Dei hospital at Tal-Qroqq will require the same energy demand as the 29,000 inhabitants of Gozo, MaltaToday has learned.
The hospital will require 19 Mega Volt-Amps - roughly equivalent to 19 megawatts - the Foundation for Medical Services told MaltaToday.
Gozo used 22.5 MVA this summer, a 12 percent increase on last year, but that includes its manufacturing industry requirements and experts have calculated that the new hospital will consume as much energy as 29,000 inhabitants.
With power cuts abounding over these summer months and people being forced to remember the horrible blackouts of the early eighties, the new hospital will take the demand on our power station’s capacity to new dizzy heights.
Malta is committed through the Kyoto protocol to reduce emissions, but the country seems to be heading in the opposite direction.
The summer heat wave of this year has already taken its toll both on energy supply and consumption, and with more and more Maltese turning to air conditioning the trend is expected to continue.
Enemalta chairman Tancred Tabone told MaltaToday: "Enemalta’s power station capacity can handle the energy requirements that Mater Dei needs with its present set up, but given the general increase in power needs, we are seriously considering a third generating turbine at Delimara. This will, however, take five years to become operational."
Enemalta takes account of all major projected loads when making plans for further expansion of its generating stations. While Malta’s energy supplier is able to generate the necessary power, it is experiencing problems with its distribution system. The high voltage 132 kilo volts link out of Delimara to Marsa south and then on to the Qormi tunnel and Mosta has been working at only 33 kilo volts because the proper transformers for the Mosta centre are not yet available. Enemalta has suggested a new distribution centre for Mosta will be purchased.
The Mater Dei hospital is set to have air conditioning in every room and that is what will take the biggest toll on Malta’s energy bill. A spokesperson for the Foundation for Medical Service confirmed to MaltaToday that: "Each and every room of the hospital will be air conditioned as well as certain plant areas. Other areas such as corridors and service areas will be air-conditioned indirectly or not at all."
Those that planned and approved the hospital development did consider energy saving, but renewable sources of energy are not being considered, although solar power could cut the emissions and energy bill considerably.
The Foundation’s spokesperson said: "No solar or renewable power use is envisaged but the design includes energy saving features such as: double glazing and UV blocks on windows; use of variable speed drives; heat recovery from chillers and air handling units; use of condensation from air-handling units; electronic ballasts on fluorescent lighting fixtures and building automation system and other features."
The energy bill at Mater Dei will, of course, be footed by taxpayer money.
Julian@maltamag.com