Prime Minister Joseph Muscat presided over the sail away ceremony of the Floating Storage Unit (FSU) Armada LNG Mediterrana in Singapore which will be dispatched in the coming days to Malta and will provide storage facility and supply gas to the new gas-fired power stations in Malta, the Department of Information said.
The vessel is set to become a permanent fixture in Marsaxlokk Bay when it arrives here in the coming weeks.
The conversion of the vessel was achieved in 17 months through the cooperation of the companies Bumi Armada, Electrogas Malta, and Keppel Shipyards in Singapore. The coversion job has been lauded by experts who explained that the FSU has the highest levels of security standards and will provide a temporary, yet reliable, supply of gas. The Armada LNG Mediterrana is expected to arrive in Malta in September.
Addressing the ceremony, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said that the energy sector in Malta was crying out loud for a major reform when this government took over in 2013.
"This will be the project which will not only complete the turnaround of Malta's energy sector, but which will be also ensuring that our electricity prices remain low and sustainable; that our electricity supply, at the periphery of the European continent, remains secure, and which meets the ever-growing electricity demand which reflects an ever-growing and strong Maltese economy," the DOI quoted the Prime Minister as saying.
Dr Muscat said that the most critical component of the government's strategy in meeting the objectives of the energy roadmap is the successful completion of the new power station by Electrogas, a part of which is being unveiled today.
"Over a span of less than forty months, this Government has successfully implemented a number of initiatives that have sought to achieve a number of milestones which has turned around the energy sector in Malta", said the Prime Minister.
"It will be the project thanks to which we will start breathing cleaner air. It will be this project which will complete our breakaway from the old, inefficient and heavy fuel oil dependant plants, to a new energy mix, based on gas, which meets today's environmental standards, and which meets the needs of our modern economy", said Dr Muscat.
The Prime Minister said that today's symbolic ceremony is not just about inaugurating a critical infrastructure of this new electricity generation project.
"It is a celebration of freedom of a small country. Freedom from the manacles which have in the last decades, due to lack of political will, shackled our people's spirits to surge ahead, to catch up with our European neighbours, and to push boundaries, not least in the energy sector, for the benefit our people and future generations," said the Prime Minister.
No Portfolio Minister Konrad Mizzi said that this project will benefit all Maltese citizens and businesses.
"This will help make Malta's energy system world-class. The project was recognised internationally and was awarded the IJ Global Award for the Best European Power Project of the year 2015. It has been lauded by the European Commission and is also consistently being referred to by credit rating agencies highlighting the ongoing energy reforms and this project as the prime contributor to Malta's positive economy," said Dr Mizzi.
from The Malta Independent http://ift.tt/2ap6rcn
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