Umair Gaines
Malta has four electricity plants and some of the lowest household electricity prices in the EU. The country has been able to increase its energy security and supply flexibility through the Malta-Sicily Interconnector, which allows for a bidirectional flow of electricity between Malta and the Italian electricity market. While Malta has made significant strides in providing electricity to its citizens, there have been concerns about energy poverty, with reports of hundreds of Maltese families being disconnected from their electricity supply each month due to unpaid bills. The government has taken steps to address this issue, providing government cheques and subsidies to offset electricity costs for its citizens.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of first electricity introduction | 1882 |
| Year of first public electricity service | 1894 |
| Number of electricity plants | 4 |
| Combined nominal installed capacity | 537.8 MW |
| Household electricity price in 2018 | 0.1306 EUR/kWh |
| Share of renewables in gross inland energy consumption in 2017 | 4.9% |
| Share of renewables in gross electricity generation in 2017 | 6.6% |
| Electricity generated from solid biomass | 86 GWh (7 ktoe) |
| Electricity generated from biogas | 50 GWh (4 ktoe) |
| Electricity generated from organic waste | 2.58 GWh (as of 2021) |
| Percentage of households disconnected from electricity due to non-payment of bills between 2008 and 2011 | 0.71% |
| Number of families disconnected from electricity supply each month | 100+ |
| Number of households that lost electricity supply | 5,500+ |
| Percentage of households disconnected from electricity supply since 2008 | 5% |
| Average number of families receiving government cheques to help with cost of living adjustments | 95,000 |
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What You'll Learn
Electricity prices in Malta
Malta has four electricity plants and a total combined nominal installed capacity of 537.8 MW. The country relies heavily on imports of fossil fuels and electricity to meet its energy demands due to its lack of domestic fossil fuel resources and gas distribution networks. Since 2015, the Malta-Sicily Interconnector has allowed Malta to connect to the European power grid and import a significant portion of its electricity. Malta had the lowest share of renewables as part of gross inland energy consumption in the EU in 2017, at only 4.9%. Most of the renewable energy generated in Malta is solar energy, with some wind and Combined Heat and Power (CHP) generation.
In 2018, Malta had some of the lowest household electricity prices in the EU, with an average price of 0.1306 EUR/kWh. This is in contrast to reports from 2011, which suggest that electricity prices in Malta were around €0.20-0.21 per kWh. This discrepancy may be due to the difference between prices for tourists and locals, with one TripAdvisor user claiming that "electricity and water charges for holiday apartments are not subsidised and therefore are more expensive".
In 2010, there was a hike in utility tariffs, which led to a growing number of Maltese families being disconnected from electricity supplies. This prompted Labour MEP Edward Scicluna to call on the European Commission to act, citing the EU Electricity Directive, which requires member states to protect vulnerable customers and recommends prohibiting disconnection during critical times.
Malta's waste management company, Wasteserv, uses the country's organic waste in an anaerobic digester plant to generate biogas for electricity production. This has reached a capacity of 2.58 GWh of electricity as of 2021.
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Sources of electricity in Malta
Malta has no domestic fossil fuel resources and no gas distribution network. As a result, the country relies heavily on imports of fossil fuels and electricity to meet its energy needs. Since 2015, the Malta-Sicily interconnector has allowed Malta to import a significant portion of its electricity from the European power grid.
As of 2017, most of the electricity generated in Malta came from natural gas, with oil as a backup. Oil was the primary fuel for electricity generation for many decades before 2015, and Malta also had coal generation capacity from 1980 to 1996. Renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, and Combined Heat and Power (CHP), have a small but growing share of the electricity generation mix. In 2017, renewables represented 4.9% of gross inland energy consumption and 6.6% of gross electricity generation in Malta, some of the lowest shares in the European Union.
Malta's waste management company, Wasteserv, uses the country's organic waste in an anaerobic digester plant to generate biogas for electricity production. The country also has a high proportion of petrol-powered cars compared to diesel and alternative fuel vehicles.
The Maltese government has committed to achieving greater security of energy supply through the diversification of energy sources and suppliers, and reducing energy import dependency by deploying indigenous Renewable Energy Sources (RES). The government has set targets to increase the share of renewable energy in the country's energy mix, with a binding target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 19% by 2030 relative to 2005 levels.
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History of electricity in Malta
Malta has four electricity plants operational, with a combined nominal installed capacity of 537.8 MW. The country has no domestic fossil fuels and no gas distribution network, relying heavily on fossil fuel and electricity imports. Since 2015, the Malta-Sicily Interconnector has allowed Malta to import electricity from the European power grid, increasing its energy security and supply flexibility.
The history of electricity in Malta can be traced back to 1882 when electric lighting was introduced for the first time at the Royal Opera House during the opera "Un Ballo in Maschera." The same year, Piazza San Giorgio in Valletta was illuminated with electric lighting. In 1883, the first demonstration of electricity for consumers' use was presented by Chev. Edward.
In the following decades, Malta's electricity infrastructure continued to develop. In 1953, a new power station was inaugurated at Jesuits Hill in Marsa, generating electricity at three phases of 50 cycles with an installed capacity of 15,000 KW. To meet the growing demand for electricity in remote villages, especially in the north of the island, the government commissioned a feasibility study. As a result, in 1957, two submarine cables were laid from Marfa to Comino and from Comino to Gozo, connecting Gozo to the power station in Malta. The Gozo Power Station ceased operations in 1959, marking another chapter in the evolution of electricity in the Maltese Islands.
In recent years, Malta has taken steps towards increasing its use of renewable energy sources. The National Renewable Energy Action Plan for Malta, submitted in 2010, outlined the country's renewable energy goals for 2020. While the share of renewables in gross inland energy consumption remains low compared to other EU countries, Malta is exploring options like wind energy and solar power. Power generation from photovoltaic (PV) solar cells is increasing, with a 16.9% growth in total kWp capacity from 2017 to 2018. Additionally, Malta's waste management company, Wasteserv, generates biogas from organic waste for electricity production.
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Electricity disconnections in Malta
Malta has four electricity plants operational, with a combined nominal installed capacity of 537.8 MW. The country has some of the lowest household electricity prices in the EU, which, in 2018, averaged 0.1306 EUR/kWh. However, despite the low prices, there have been issues with electricity disconnections in Malta.
In 2010, there were calls for European Commission action to prevent electricity disconnections in the country. Labour MEP Edward Scicluna highlighted the growing number of Maltese families being disconnected from electricity due to a recent hike in utility tariffs. He pointed out that the EU Electricity Directive requires member states to protect vulnerable customers and recommended the prohibition of disconnection during critical times. Scicluna argued that the Maltese government was in breach of this directive by allowing hundreds of families to be disconnected from electricity each month.
Data supports Scicluna's claims, showing that 2,148 households were disconnected from electricity between January and October of one year, and 3,000 people had their electricity disconnected in 2017. While disconnections decreased from over 11,700 in 2016 to 3,000 in 2017, there was a spike in power cuts in 2017, with consumers experiencing a total of 418 minutes (7 hours) of unplanned power cuts, up from 101 minutes in 2016.
Malta's electricity supply is vulnerable to external factors, such as weather conditions, which can impact the Italy-Malta interconnection and lead to unplanned power cuts. Additionally, Malta's reliance on fossil fuel imports and low adoption of renewable energy sources may contribute to electricity supply challenges. While the Malta-Sicily Interconnector has increased energy security and supply flexibility, the country still faces challenges in ensuring stable and affordable electricity access for all its citizens.
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Electricity imports to Malta
Malta has no domestic fossil fuel resources and no gas distribution network, and it relies heavily on imports of fossil fuels and electricity to meet its energy needs. The Malta–Sicily Interconnector, in operation since April 2015, connects Malta to the European power grid, allowing for bidirectional electricity flow between the Maltese Islands and the Italian electricity market. This interconnector has increased Malta's energy security and supply flexibility.
Malta's total combined nominal installed capacity across its four electricity plants is 537.8 MW. In 2017, most of the electricity generated in Malta came from natural gas, with oil as a backup. Before the installation of CCGT systems at Delimara Power Station in 2015, oil was the primary fuel for electricity generation for decades. Renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, have a small but growing share in Malta's electricity generation mix.
Malta's waste management company, Wasteserv, uses organic waste to generate biogas for electricity production. This initiative has reached a capacity of 2.58 GWh of electricity as of 2021. Additionally, power generation from photovoltaic (PV) solar cells is increasing, with a 16.9% growth in total kWp capacity from 2017 to 2018. The country has set targets for renewable energy, aiming for a 10% share by 2020 and 20% by 2025.
While Malta has some of the lowest household electricity prices in the EU, there have been concerns about electricity disconnections among Maltese families due to tariff hikes. The European Commission has been urged to act, highlighting the need to protect vulnerable customers and prevent disconnections, as required by EU law.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the first public electricity service in Malta was introduced in 1894. However, there have been concerns about the Maltese government disconnecting the electricity of families who are unable to pay their bills.
Malta has four electricity plants with a combined nominal installed capacity of 537.8 MW. The country relies heavily on imports of fossil fuels and electricity to meet its energy needs.
Malta has some of the lowest household electricity prices in the EU. In 2018, the average household electricity price was 0.1306 EUR/kWh. The government has also been providing cost-of-living adjustment cheques to families to help with electricity bills.
