Michael Falzon (‘Blurring Vision 2015’, 28 March 2010) seems not to have realised that ‘rhetorical questions’ are ones that do not need an answer. The ones he asked Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi certainly do, and most of them have in fact been answered.
Some of the questions carry a hint of misconception about the Delimara extension, possibly generated by confusion on technical matters, resulting from political crossfire about the contract. Eight piston engines of 18MW each in preference to one turbine of 140MW is arguably the better choice for our grid. The chosen plant does not have to use heavy fuel oil (HFO); it can use much cleaner gasoil (diesel). The choice of HFO was based on an Enemalta claim that when all costs are taken into account, the HFO piston engines will generate electricity more cheaply than the gas turbine, that in our case can only burn gasoil. The HFO/gasoil price ratio is about 1:2.5, but Enemalta has not produced a gasoil-HFO unit cost comparison for the piston engines.
As for the answers to the two parts of the first question, they are ‘no’ and ‘no’ as is the answer to the second question. As for the pollution abatement equipment: that has two parts, one to deal with SO2 and the other one with NOx. Either by itself is a mature technology; combined, there is a prototype or at least a scarcity element. The crossing out of ‘guaranteed’ is real enough, as is the use of ‘plausible’ by the consultants; but I have the impression that ‘plausible’ does not imply ‘optimistic’. Still, it is a slightly unfortunate use of English in the circumstances, as is ‘unfortunate’ the number of occasions the chosen bidder and the assessor have been associated in similar bids in the past.
The potable water by-product I have not heard of, but if the engines are better suited than the turbine, it is hardly relevant. The export of the toxic waste is said to be in hand. We are building up a fair amount of practice as it is: both Wasteserve and Enemalta are regularly exporting toxic waste, in modest amounts of course. But in the end, government would do itself and us a power of good if it goes for gasoil as a fuel for the piston engines.
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