Finance minister claims no knowledge of billion-dollar energy proposal

Tonio Fenech has refuted claims by European Commissioner John Dalli of an alleged $1 billion proposal for the production of clean energy that was put to the Maltese government.

The finance minister was answering a parliamentary question by Labour MP Joe Mizzi on February 23, to which he replied that government knew nothing about the project mentioned by Dalli, and could be "one of many other similar project proposals government receives."

Replying to the finance minister's answer, Dalli said that "it's possible that minister Fenech doesn’t know [about the project], but government knows.”

Dalli said given that Enemalta Corporation falls under Fenech’s ministry, then there must have been discussions on the project. “I communicated with the Prime Minister and have reason to believe that he is often in contact with the finance ministry,” Dalli said.

Dalli claimed last February on John Bundy’s talk show Affari Taghna on One TV, that the proposal by the consortium would have led to a project that generates electricity at a cost that would be 30 to 40 per cent cheaper to Maltese consumers.

“Unfortunately, government did not seem to be giving this consortium the deserved attention.” He added that if this was the case, "it was a shame" and that he was against a wind farm project.

He insisted that government look into the proposed project by the consortium and carry out the necessary due diligence. “Malta’s size does not permit the development of wind farms, and given its geographical limitations, the country can only produce between 10 to 15 per cent of its energy from solar power,” Dalli said.