Mar 28 - Government Prepares Tender for Permanent Power Solution
With regards to the Government’s permanent solution to Gibraltar’s power supply demands, the Inter Ministerial Committee on Power Generation, which is chaired by the Chief Minister, has concluded its consideration of the options available to Gibraltar for a new power station.
The Committee has considered all fuel options for electricity generation and all possible locations. The Government has carried out studies on pollution and emissions from different fuel and engine types.
Tenders for the development of the new Power station are expected to finalised and issued within the next six to eight weeks.
The Government has insisted that a number of measures have already been implemented, they include; the ability to produce as much power as Gibraltar needs so that there are no more power cuts as a result of lack of generating capacity, not being reliant on the twelve one-megawatt generators imported by the previous administration.
The Government also claims that works have started on the distribution network, which has had minimal investment in over a decade and which has been the cause of some of the recent power cuts.
The process of reducing the number of engines in operation at Waterport in the silent hours has also been started.
Chair of the inter Ministerial committee, Mr. Fabian Picardo commented that he was extremely happy to have analysed all options and to have made determinations and decisions enabling the Government to prepare the necessary tenders subject only to to consultation.
He added, ‘I am confident that we are going to deliver a much better option for Gibraltar in every sense than the £150m diesel burning power station at Lathbury Barracks, which committed the previous administration to a 5% increase compounded per annum (amounting to a total increase to consumers of OVER 100% by the end of the period) in the cost of electricity over the next twenty years, and for much less cost.’
