Malta's Energy Dependency Soars in 2024 as Interconnector Purchases Surge

Increased Reliance on Imported Electricity

Malta experienced a significant shift in its energy landscape during 2024, with a sharp increase in reliance on imported electricity. According to figures released by the National Statistics Office (NSO), power purchases through the Sicily-Malta interconnector surged by 49.7% compared to the previous year, reaching 970.4 gigawatt-hours (GWh). This substantial increase meant that imported power accounted for 31.1% of Malta's total electricity supply in 2024.

Decline in Local Generation and Growing Demand

The heightened dependency on imports coincided with a decline in local electricity generation. Production from Malta's power plants dropped by 8.7%, amounting to 1,849.9 GWh. Consequently, local power plants supplied 58.1% of the total electricity. The overall electricity supplied to the island increased by 6.5%, reaching a record 3,106.1 GWh in 2024. This growing demand was influenced by several factors, including rising temperatures, increased economic activity, and planned maintenance at the Delimara 4 gas-fired power plant, which constrained local generation capacity.

Energy Mix and Environmental Impact

While the reliance on imports grew, the overall energy mix saw some changes. Renewable energy sources contributed 10.8% of Malta's total electricity supply, with production increasing by 5.6% to 336.0 GWh, primarily from photovoltaic panels. The shift towards greater imports and reduced local generation from power plants also resulted in a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions from fuel combustion in power plants by 7.8% compared to 2023. Despite this, Malta remains highly dependent on fossil fuels for its overall energy supply, with figures from 2022 indicating a 96.1% reliance.

Addressing Future Energy Security

To enhance energy security and meet future demand, Malta is actively pursuing infrastructure developments. The country is currently constructing a second interconnector to Sicily, a project aimed at providing redundancy and diversifying supply risks. Additionally, Enemalta, the national electricity provider, leased a temporary 60MW emergency generation plant in 2024 as a precautionary measure to ensure uninterrupted supply during peak demand periods, particularly in the event of a fault in one of the main generation sources.