[WATCH] Floating offshore renewables best solution for Malta, Miriam Dalli reiterates

Energy minister Miriam Dalli has said floating renewable energy is the technology that makes most sense for the Malta even if it comes at a higher cost.

“The reality is that the technology which makes sense for our country is floating offshore renewable energy farms,” she said.

The minister was fielding questions on government’s vision for new renewable energy farms, and stated exclusive economic zones waters outside Malta's territorial reach are handled by the finance ministry.

Dalli had told a Chamber of Commerce debate that Malta will generate a minimum 50 Megawatts from offshore wind farms or 65 MW from offshore solar plants by 2030.

The government had also identified a 900sq.km zone of shallow waters around Hurd’s Bank, and a 6,500sq.km belt around the island as two areas where it intends issuing concessions to private companies for the production of renewable energy, the production and storage of hydrogen, fish farms and the establishment of “artificial islands”.

"What we are doing is looking at areas where we can have offshore renewables," Dalli said on Tuesday. "Government is focused on reaching the country’s maximum potential in renawable energy."

Dalli said government will invest more in solar panels, however it will look towards other possibilities for renewable energy for Malta.