For a new €480m liquefied-natural-gas-to-power project for ElectroGas Malta, we provided project, construction and technical management services.
Malta has traditionally been reliant on diesel and heavy fuel oil for its power generation; these facilities do not meet present day European environmental legislation, and provide power in an inefficient and expensive manner.
To address the environmental requirements and create a more efficient and better value power supply, an energy program has been created which includes incentivizing solar power and creating a new interconnector to Sicily.
The liquid-natural-gas-to-power project is a significant part of Malta’s future energy strategy, and our contract for this project is with the ElectroGas Malta Consortium (EGM). This comprises Siemens, SOCAR, Gasol and a collection of Maltese investors known as GEM Holdings.
EGM was awarded a finance, build and operate contract under a gas supply agreement and power purchase agreement for 18 years.
The project consisted of a near-shore, permanently berthed, floating storage unit (FSU) located close to the fishing village of Marsaxlokk. The FSU provides liquefied natural gas (LNG) via the newly constructed jetty for onshore regasification (the process for converting LNG back to natural gas).
The construction of a new 205MW Siemens combined cycle gas turbine power station, known as Delimara 4, also formed part of the project. This was along with the inclusion of new gas feed and pressure reduction station to the existing Delimara 3 power station after a conversion from pure diesel power to dual fuel (diesel and natural gas).
Led by our major projects team, the project’s multiple challenges were resolved through bringing together skill sets from across our business including planning, structural and civil engineering, environmental assessment and ground engineering. We played significant roles in the pre-front end engineering design (FEED), FEED, and as owner’s engineer during the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning phase. We will continue to work in Malta beyond the plant completion and provide support during initial operations into late 2017.