On the 31st January 2024, the Ministry for the Environment, Energy and the Regeneration of the Grand Harbour, launched a Preliminary Market Consultation (“PMC”) to assess market appetite for the development of floating solar technology projects, including photovoltaic farms within the territorial sea of the Maltese Islands.[1] This forms part of the Maltese Government’s strategy to becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
A site situated 4 nautical miles from the Maltese coast has been identified as a potential location for the development and operation of floating solar farms, with the capacity of generating up to 50 megawatts of energy. These floating solar farms will be directly connected to the Maltese power station in Delimara, feeding directly into the national grid. The PMC identifies the following key considerations for the development of such floating solar technology project:
- Optimal land utilisation
- Enhanced energy generation
- Environmental Compatibility
- Reduced Transmission Losses
- Adaptability to water depth
- Diversification and Security of Energy Sources
- Innovation
The PMC shall remain open until the 24th April 2024 (closing at 11:00am Malta time) and interested parties are invited to register as suppliers through the following link.
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[1] A link to the PMC Document may be found here.