Miriam Dalli says Malta's energy sector was impacted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Malta is being affected by high wholesale prices for electricity that is imported from Italy via the interconnector, Miriam Dalli told a meeting of EU energy ministers that discussed the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The Energy Minister said that when the provision of electricity was in danger, solidarity should be shown with everyone without any distinction.

“Malta’s geography makes the energy impacts more pronounced and challenging to address. The energy market disruptions affect freight costs, leading to higher prices and inflationary pressures. Exacerbating the issue further is the lack of choice of transport for Malta’s businesses, where all raw materials have to be imported”, Dalli said.

The minister said that Malta supported a coordinated approach in these particular circumstances; however, member states should be allowed a degree of flexibility to best address their needs. She also highlighted the importance of all EU countries being linked to the European energy grid.

Dalli was in Brussels at a meeting of energy ministers to discuss the war and the impact it is having on the energy sector.

The meeting addressed the EU’s preparedness in the event of a supply crisis.

Dalli also said that it was important to scale up investment in renewable energy.