Renewable energy plans ‘could pave way for Malta’s first solar farm’

The government’s plans to invest €140 million to support renewable energy operators will pave the way for the development of solar farms, the Malta Developers’ Association has said.

The European Commission on Friday found that Malta’s plans to support power generation from renewable sources are in line with EU state aid rules. Malta plans to grant state aid to photovolataic energy operators in the form of a premium payment on top of the market price. The scheme – which will run until 2020 – will also be extended to onshore wind farms if an eligible site is approved within the next four years.

Deputy prime minister Louis Grech and former energy minister Konrad Mizzi have said that the plans will allow Malta to reach its ambitious EU2020 target, which states that renewable energy must constitute 10% of the country’s total electricity produced by 2020. By the end of t014, only 4% of electricity production was from renewable sources.

The Malta Developers’ Association has said that the scheme will allow for the development of solar farms – photovoltaic systems larger than 1MW. It added that it had proposed such a system to various government entities, including minister Konrad Mizzi – who was removed as energy minister due to his involvement in the Panama Papers scandal but who has maintained oversight over various energy projects.

The association said that developers in the alternative energy sector will do their utmost to ensure that the scheme will be a success, for the benefit of the general public and in the interest of the alternative energy sector.

“While the MDA remains committed to continuing to work with the government, the authorities and the service providers of alternative energy so that the production sector of clean energy will continue to grow consistently, even on a commercial scale, it urges the authorities to lessen unnecessary bureaucracy in the administrative process need to achieve the goal of these projects so that they can be implemented as soon as possible,” it said in a statement.

“We are satisfied that we have obtained the trust of all the members of this sector in a short period of time and have managed to achieve success in this field to achieve one of its primary aims that development in our country will be truly sustainable.