Renewable energy NGO says Malta has far to go to reach 2020 targets

The Malta Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energies Association (MEEREA) said that although Malta had improved its renewable energy production since last year, it still had a long way to go to reach the 2020 aims stipulated in the EU Renewable Energy Directive.

“Renewable energy production reached 3.4% of Malta ́s total electricity energy production in 2014,” the MEEREA said quoting NSO.

“This result still leaves a lot to be achieved by 2020, if Malta is to reach the 10% of total final energy consumption to come from renewable energies,” it added.

The NGO said that based on the NSO statistics, one can easily conclude that renewable energy has only reached 2% of the total final energy consumed in Malta, which includes not only electricity (assumed to be 60% of total) but also fuels for transport, aviation fuel, fuel used for heating, energy consumed in industry as well as energy for waste treatment.

“The average share of renewable energy over the last two years is therefore below the 3% agreed EU trajectory target for 2014,” the statement added.

The NGO noted that this situation is of great concern not only to the government but also to every Maltese citizen. It questioned what was being done to reach the targets.

“The government should give priority to launching a renewable energy action plan which is completely independent of the national budget to ensure continuous and uninterruptable progress towards the final 2020 target.”

The group further encouraged citizens to do their part by asking themselves what energy efficiency measure they have implemented this year over and above last year and by checking whether any installed PV systems or solar heaters were operating properly.

“The fact that the share of PV generation in total renewable energy production has increased from 83.7% in 2013  to 91.3% in 2014 is itself a matter of concern,” they said, adding that it implies that Malta is focusing too much on photovoltaic and ignoring the development of other renewable energy systems such as solar heaters, energy from waste, heat pump technology, some of which are more efficient and much cheaper than PV systems.

MEEREA has urged a national renewable energy action plan to develop all sources of renewable energy and push to make them sustainable both in the short and long terms.

It noted that although electricity generated from fossil fuels had registered a drop in 2014 compared to 2013, actual total electricity consumption - the sum of PV electricity and grid electricity generation- has actually increased by 0.3% in 2014 over 2013.

“This indicates that more needs to be done to promote energy efficiency,” MEEREA said, calling on the government to carefully consider the trends of energy production and consumption in all sectors and come up with a more definitive plan on the way forward.

“It is imperative that data collection procedures be enhanced at all levels so as to be able to plan ahead both in terms of greater penetration of different renewable energy systems and also more aggressive policies to increase energy efficiency.”