Miriam Dalli, Malta’s Minister for Environment, Energy and Enterprise has announced that her country is studying the feasibility of establishing a renewable energy link with Libya, after signing a memorandum of understanding between the two countries.
Dalli mentioned in an interview with the Malta Independent newspaper that setting up solar panels in Libya is being considered, in order to transfer the produced green energy to Malta, and possibly even export it thereafter overseas.
Determining the viability of such a project is the current focus according to Dalli, in addition to exploring the overall possibility of interdependence with countries in North Africa.
In regard to Libya, the Maltese minister indicated that Libya has a vast area of land and a large capacity for solar energy, which provides potential to produce renewable energy, much larger than that in Malta.
When asked if she was confident that Libya could be a strong energy partner for Malta, in view of the political situation, Dalli stated that such projects are what could help achieve stability in countries like Libya. She also pointed out that there are indeed countries that have already developed similar energy agreements with Libya and other North African states, some of whom have initiated their projects.
Libya and Malta signed a memorandum of understanding last June on joint cooperation in the field of electrical interconnection between the two countries, regarding which the Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela had expressed his aspiration that there would be tangible projects in the energy sector that would benefit both countries.
Source: “Malta Independent” newspaper.
