Offshore wind farms are expected to produce higher tariffs for the electricity they generate, and the government might have to intervene to subsidise the cost for consumers, the Ministry for Resources and Rural Affairs said.
The social impact of higher tariffs from the Sikka l-Bajda wind farm, one of three proposed sites for Malta’s future wind farms, was raised in a meeting between the ministry and the Malta Environment and Planning Authority, with NGOs and local councils.
The issue was brought up by Zminijietna representative David Pisani, who called for a socio-economic study to assess the benefits to consumers from wind energy.
Ministry representative Francis Bugeja said such a study could be carried out. “It would consider the fact that as things stand today, the production of renewable energy is more expensive than that produced by conventional methods.”
Bugeja said that land-based wind farms, such as that proposed at Bahrija, are the only type of renewable energy that is presently competitive enough with conventional energy.
On the other hand, observers note that the financial penalty for Malta not reaching its EU renewable energy targets – 10% of total energy productoin by 2020 – could be enormous for the Maltese economy.
Irrespectively of whether it is the state or the private sector that develops the wind farm, the government will still have to recuperate the capital investment made.
Bugeja said the government could negotiate the tariffs with the private developer, or subsidise the difference between wind energy and conventional energy tariffs instead of investing in the capital outlay.
While Sikka l-Bajda will producer costlier energy than smaller land farms in Bahrija and Hal Far, it will however produce a great quantity.
A Bahrija wind farm is estimated to be capable of producing 0.5% of the national capacity. Sikka l-Bajda on the other hand can produce 4%.
Rabat mayor Sandro Craus has questioned whether the small contribution of a Bahrija wind farm justifies the impact on the area’s agricultural holdings. “Bearing in mind that it will contribute 0.5% of the energy input till 2020… the extensive impacts are not justified.”
The meetings between government and NGOs on wind energy have also revealed a rift among environmentalists.
A Flimkien Ghall-Ambjent Ahjar representative argued that land-based wind farms could result in a “win-win situation” for locals, citing a number of foreign studies showing wind farms did not necessarily have negative visual connotations but in some cases were even considered to be tourist attractions.
On the other hand, George Camilleri from Din l-Art Helwa proposed that the best solution would to invest in overseas wind energy, and import the electricity. “In this way a number of impacts will be avoided,” he said.
Another issue raised by NGOs was that MEPA had failed to conduct wind speed studies in different locations before choosing the best sites. “Since a comprehensive study identifying the best locations for wind turbines was not carried out, it follows that Bahrija was chosen arbitrarily,” Zminijietna representative David Pisani said.
Ministry official Tonio Sant acknowledged the lack of a wind speed study, but pointed out that the sites were identified in the Mott Macdonald study, and by the Institute for Energy Technology at the University of Malta.
But despite the proposal of the north Gozo shore for a wind farm by Prof. Edward Mallia, a member on the government’s Wind Advisory Committee, the site was still excluded.
Sant insisted that wind conditions are “not considerably higher than at Sikka l-Bajda, and that wind studies carried out at Ta’ Gordan lighthouse cannot be taken as an estimate of offshore wind conditions because wind speeds increase with height. While Ta’ Gordan is exposed to wind from all directions a near-shore wind farm will be sheltered by the Gozitan coastline.”
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