Malta Thumbs Down Offshore Wind Project

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) Board has said no to Is-Sikka l-Bajda offshore wind farm.

The Board agreed with the Planning Directorate’s recommendation that the detrimental consequential effects on the environmental protection, in particular the avifauna and marine ecology, of the surrounding area over ride the benefits achieved through the generation of renewable energy from the proposed wind farm.

The proposal included the installation of 19 wind turbines, over an area of 11 square kilometers.

Both the Appropriate Assessment (AA) study and the draft Environment Impact Statement (EIS) concluded that effective mitigation measure are not possible to address the major adverse impact that this project will have on the land and sea uses, the avifauna, the geological and geomorphologic heritage and the visual and landscape amenity.

The Board also refused planning permission for the proposed rehabilitation of a disused quarry as a temporary storage for bulky refuse and the parking of related collection vehicles. The quarry situated in an area known as Tat-Tomna limits of Mellieha consists of a stretch of excavated land located on a gently slope within a protected Area of High Landscape Value (AHLV), an Area of Ecology Importance (AEI) and a Site of Scientific Importance (SSI).

The Board cited that although such a proposed activity in itself may be considered as a positive means of recycling bulky refuse, other sites which are appropriate or designated to cater for such an activity should be sought.

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