Swedish company Hexicon AB, recently submitted a Project Description Statement to the Malta Environment and Planning Authority. This is the first time the project was made public although in May 2011 a number of foreign websites had referred to the endorsement of this project by regulatory authorities in Malta, Sweden and Cyprus in a bid to obtain EU funding for this renewable energy project.
According to the report, a location on the northeast of Malta 11 nautical miles from shore, where water depths vary between 100 and 150 metres, has already been identified. A cable would link the wind-farm to an offshore substation in Maghtab.
Malta will have to increase its renewable energy share to 10% from the current 1-2% by 2020.
The plant will produce 54MW, which amounts to 9% of the energy currently generated by the two existing power stations, and 24MW more than projected from the proposed Sikka l-Bajda windfarm.
The PDS claims that this development will enable Malta to meet its EU commitment to generate 10% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020. It also promises "the production of energy at a more competitive rate than oil based power generating facilities".
Hexicon's technology for large-scale, floating platforms for wind and wave power was analysed and reviewed by the Swedish Energy Agency, the Malta Resources Authority and the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment of the Republic of Cyprus.
The hexagon shaped platform will be constructed on the basis of offshore oil rig platform technology. The company claims that its platform has an expected lifespan of 50 years while the turbines have a life expectancy of 25 years.
Source: Malta Today, Thursday 16 February 2012 edition
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