Prime Minister Joseph Muscat presided over the sail away ceremony of the Floating Storage Unit (FSU) Armada LNG Mediterrana in Singapore which will be dispatched in the coming days to Malta.

It will provide storage facility and supply gas to the new gas-fired power stations in Malta. The Armada LNG Mediterrana is expected to arrive in Malta in September.

The conversion of the vessel was achieved in 17 months through the cooperation of the companies Bumi Armada, Electrogas Malta, and Keppel Shipyards in Singapore.

The Government said in a statement today that, "the conversion job has been lauded by experts who explained that the FSU has the highest levels of security standards and will provide a temporary, yet reliable, supply of gas." Addressing the ceremony, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said that the energy sector in Malta was crying out loud for a major reform when this government took over in 2013.

"This will be the project which will not only complete the turnaround of Malta's energy sector, but which will be also ensuring that our electricity prices remain low and sustainable; that our electricity supply, at the periphery of the European continent, remains secure, and which meets the ever-growing electricity demand which reflects an ever-growing and strong Maltese economy," said the Prime Minister.

Dr Muscat said that the most critical component of the government's strategy in meeting the objectives of the energy roadmap is the successful completion of the new power station by Electrogas, a part of which is being unveiled today.

"Over a span of less than forty months, this Government has successfully implemented a number of initiatives that have sought to achieve a number of milestones which has turned around the energy sector in Malta," said the Prime Minister.

He added that, "it will be the project thanks to which we will start breathing cleaner air. It will be this project which will complete our breakaway from the old, inefficient and heavy fuel oil dependant plants, to a new energy mix, based on gas, which meets today's environmental standards, and which meets the needs of our modern economy."

The Prime Minister said that today's symbolic ceremony is not just about inaugurating a critical infrastructure of this new electricity generation project.

"It is a celebration of freedom of a small country. Freedom from the manacles which have in the last decades, due to lack of political will, shackled our people's spirits to surge ahead, to catch up with our European neighbours, and to push boundaries, not least in the energy sector, for the benefit our people and future generations," he said..

Minister Konrad Mizzi said that this project will benefit all Maltese citizens and businesses.

"This will help make Malta's energy system world-class. The project was recognised internationally and was awarded the IJ Global Award for the Best European Power Project of the year 2015. It has been lauded by the European Commission and is also consistently being referred to by credit rating agencies highlighting the ongoing energy reforms and this project as the prime contributor to Malta's positive economy," said Dr Mizzi.

The LNG Floating Storage Unit to be installed as part of the Delimara LNG Import Terminal.

The project consists in the conversion of a first generation Moss LNG Carrier of 125,000m³ storage capacity into a Floating Storage Unit to be permanently moored by a jetty near the Delimara power station. The unit will deliver LNG on a continuous basis, without dry-docking interruption to an onshore regasification plant feeding natural gas to the 400 MW base load power station.

After its conversion, the FSU Armada LNG Mediterrana has the following main design features:

LNG send-out from 10-150m³/hr

Boil Off Gas sent to shore for power plant use

Shore power supply to optimise project economics

New auxiliary boilers and generating set for Boil Off Gas management and power redundancy when disconnected from jetty

No dry docking for 18 years by using FPSO coatings and in water inspection philosophy

Environmentally friendly design for propeller shaft and underwater systems to ensure no discharge to sea at any time

Spread-mooring arrangements for use in extreme weather conditions

Side by Side transfer of LNG by approaching LNG Carriers through LNG hoses

Photographs: DOI/Jeremy Wonnacott

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