Land reclamation could make Malta a Singapore in the Med

Author: George Mangion
Published on Business Today 25th April 2019

During a business trip to Singapore, I was fascinated by its success in many sectors notwithstanding the fact that it possesses no mineral wealth.

Singapore is roughly twice the size of Malta but houses over five million citizens in a densely-populated area. It comes as no surprise that over the past decades Singapore has invested heavily in land reclamation, including a massive freeport and an international airport.

Malta is contemplating using the massive tonnage of debris generated from the Gozo tunnel to a practical use. The controversial topic has recently hit the deadlines after parliament unanimously approved (except for the two PD MPs) to go ahead with the tunnel project.

As can be expected, the subject is highly contested by environmentalists and NGOs who argue against land reclamation because it will upset the ecological, scientific and archaeological habitat.

It follows that due to Malta’s size, its growing population density and unique island biodiversity any political announcement to encourage land reclamation are welcomed by property magnates.

Others claim capital for such a mammoth project should be diverted to solve the dire problem of lack of social housing.

This bone of contention is counter balanced by the suggestion towards re-use of abandoned dwellings to accommodate social housing for the elderly and potential redevelopment of some of these dwellings which are old and unfit for habitation. Of course, this is already done by the Housing Authority that is inviting developers to come forward and enter a joint venture to finance the development costs to rehabilitate derelict houses.

This is a noble cause but in the meantime, there is nothing to stop us from utilising the resource of abundant debris resulting from either tunnelling or building a metro.

It is no exaggeration to say that Malta as an island with relatively soft rock has suffered continuous erosion by mother nature over the millennia.

Being contrite, we must admit that with a third of the island covered with concrete we can enjoy more elbow room for ample spatial living.

The Planning Authority commissioned independent consultants to carry out two major studies on land reclamation. One dates back to 2005 that explored the idea of disposing construction waste at sea, and another completed in 2007 exploring the feasibility of land reclamation at two specific areas.

It remains a mystery why the PA had in the past discouraged the environmental and economic feasibility of land reclamation within our coastal zone. To quote an ideal site, we can mention the coastline near Qalet Marku.

Here, one assumes that building debris from both the City Centre (DB) project and the Gozo tunnel can be deployed to form a cluster of islands.

Unofficially, we heard that ERA maintains that the coastline at Xagħjra is a preferred site since at Qalet Marku there are more environmental objections. Naturally, the construction lobby is very much in favour of sustainable work linked to large scale land reclamation work, which on its own can secure jobs.

The Prime Minister is encouraging the private sector to come forward with ideas and this is welcome. Any large-scale reclamation will inevitably stimulate the regeneration of key areas but designs have to be sensitive to aesthetic value and historical significance.
Ideally, the area coincides with functional considerations of a busy tourist centre. Perhaps that is why the Xagħjra coastline was chosen.

This means linking it to Smart City with a modern promenade, supporting multifarious commercial, cultural and recreation activities, albeit residents are vociferous in their protests against such a plan.

But we must reflect on how Malta created a thriving cruise liner industry in Valletta and the Cottonera jetties – both construed on reclaimed land.

In an ideal world, environmentalists need to tone down their opposition and carefully weigh the advantages of better paid jobs benefitting from a heavy investment to reclaim land from the sea. Certainly, land reclamation is not new to the Maltese islands and here I can mention with pride the success of Marsa Sports Grounds built entirely on reclaimed land, the sea originally reaching inland as far as Qormi since ancient times.

Turning to Msida, one can point to another prime example of a major land reclamation project while not forgetting the massive Freeport terminals in Birżebbuġa and the platform on which the Delimara power station stands.

Moving on to the advantages of reclamation, one remembers with nostalgia how reclamation changed the logistics at Msida. Originally when the parish church was built it was facing the sea. Really and truly, there will always be a price to pay when inert waste, usually from construction and demolition sources, is used for land reclamation. The hardest hit, from a purely environmental standpoint, is obviously the seabed, which not only loses its integrity in terms of physical characteristics but any biodiversity thriving on a particular site can be wiped out altogether.

The obvious collateral damage to the Posidonia meadows (seagrass) that lie over large tracts of seabed at various depths around the coastline merits serious consideration as the ecological significance of such meadows is well known in terms of stabilising the seabed and serving as nurture grounds for an immense variety of fish species and other marine organisms. Also, any excessive dumping of inert waste at sea to build retaining walls for land extensions is aesthetically unpleasing as it disturbs the water column by contributing to turbidity.

Ecologists warn us that such dumping takes ages to eventually settle down as sediment on the seafloor and it lowers the photosynthetic capabilities of aquatic species in that particular site to the detriment of the marine ecosystem as a whole. Another concern is the toxic element inherent in unsorted waste such as heavy metals, burnt oil or other chemical species that could be absorbed by the marine ecosystem and in the process, go to contaminate food chains.

The implications in terms of the resultant particulate matter levels in ambient air, for example, white and black dusts as a result of heavy machinery to move material is not to be under estimated.

Now that the government is waiting for completion of scientific studies before issuing tenders for the Gozo tunnel project there is some speculation where the millions be sourced.

The tunnel is certainly a controversial topic that has long grasped the imagination of politicians and will eventually challenge structural engineers to design a commercially sustainable link. If we optimise the resource out of future development projects and use them wisely as land extensions, then that will be the day when Malta may rise as a Phoenix out of the water and share the success of a novel Singapore in the Med.

George Mangion

Author: George Mangion
Published on Business Today 25th April 2019
Get in touch: info@pkfmalta.com | +356 21 493 041

Malta in a race to catch up on renewable energy

Author: George Mangion
Published on Business Today 4th April 2019

Can we be sure that the constant barrage in the media to combat climate change is not another hoax like the millennium bug?

Tree huggers tell us climate change is a process which may be caused by a number of factors including natural, but it can include geologic, oceanographic and atmospheric events.

It does not exclude human-induced factors. One can generalise that a common cause for high emission of greenhouse gases results through human processes such as burning of fossil fuels.

There exists an undeniable fact pointing to the increase in carbon dioxide concentrations and other greenhouse gases, such as methane and nitrous oxide caused by daily activities – mainly due to the explosion in car ownership, more travel by sea and air, not to forget emissions from heavy industry.

Reliable sources tell us there is undeniable evidence pointing to the fact that carbon dioxide is on the increase during the past two decades.

Readers may expect this is another article extolling the benefits of clean air resulting from the ideal solution costing millions of efficient plants generating Green energy.

The truth is not many governments shed tears for the lack of success in reducing national carbon footprint which undoubtedly is contributing to climate change. Between 1990 and 2007, we have seen greenhouse gas emissions increase by almost 50%.

It’s time to start reducing such emissions in order to mitigate the effect of climate change but it is unreasonable to expect that governments get focused in this quest and dig deep into their pockets to reduce the impact of climate change.

There have been various conferences and press releases by the EU extolling the benefits of renewable energy systems and directives were proposed by committees in Brussels to propose ambitious goals for Member States to step up their investment in Green energy.

The original holy grail was that by 2020, the EU would seek to obtain 20% of its total energy consumption requirements with renewable energy sources.

As a definition renewable energy includes wind, solar, hydro-electric and tidal power as well as geothermal energy and biomass and from studies published by the EU one notes that Germany leads the pack as a country which has invested the highest amount in this sector claiming to be the world’s first major renewable energy economy (in 2010, investments total 26 billion euros).

According to official figures, some 370,000 people in Germany were employed in the renewable energy sector in 2010, and it is no surprise to discover that most companies benefiting from this sector are small and medium sized companies. Certainly, concentrations of carbon dioxide in the Mediterranean have increased along with the atmospheric distortion which is giving us colder winters and higher humidity in summers.

Evidence shows that the increase in carbon dioxide concentrations is human induced and is predominantly a result of fossil fuel burning. It is a fact that greenhouse gases when controlled can serve a useful purpose that is to absorb infrared radiation from the Sun and re-emit it in all directions.

This natural greenhouse effect, resulting in creation of water vapour and carbon dioxide functions like a shield to protect the Earth surface from harmful sun rays. Pierce the shield and the surface temperature would be intolerable.

There’s also the problem of a gradual rise in sea levels.  It is estimated that over this century, we will encounter sea-level rise of between 0.18 and 0.69m. In the case of Malta, this is of some concern due to the east coast which will be particularly hit, especially low areas such as Sliema, Gżira and Msida, among others.  It goes without saying that a sudden sea-level rise will particularly impact our economy. The plus side of climate change is our geographical location.

Malta enjoys good exposure to rays of the sun yet it has not succeeded to increase production of electricity from use of photovoltaic panels to the 10% EU threshold. One may observe that awareness in Malta of the benefits of using such technology has improved since the arrival of the Shanghai Electric with its substantial investment in Enemalta.  It converted the BWSC plant to run on LNG. The foreign investment in Electrogas generating plant now running on LNG is also a blessing.

Sadly, Malta has so far been a laggard in solar energy generation, albeit positive steps have been taken to subsidize PV installations for home use.

Why is PV technology so effective? The answer is because a solar cell is the elementary building block of the photovoltaic technology. Recently, research in PV technology has been making giant steps by testing new prototypes made of semiconductor materials, such as silicon which due to their properties makes them highly conductive and in turn scientists are discovering ingenious ways how to capture the energy of the sun and convert it in electricity through an inverter.

Simply fitting more panels on rooftops looks easy but the demographic and geographic characteristics of the island create issues of spatial planning, given that space is limited and it is densely populated. But, it is not all doom and gloom.

Having started from zero in 1995 there has been a huge leap in the number of rooftop installations to date. Official statistics indicate that PV has grown at an average yearly rate of 35% from 1995 to 2005 (1,8 kW to 40 kW) and of 63% between 2005 and 2010. Ask any architect and he will point out that spatial planning is hindered by the limitation to open areas where to fit extensive renewable energy systems (RES).

These often clash with other planning needs and for this reason large-scale RES installations are not practical in Malta.
In conclusion, can the environment minister succeed to catch up for lost time, in the race for renewable energy – and succeed to win the coveted trophy.

To achieve this, we must produce 20% of total energy sourced from non-fossil fuels by next year – one can compare this to the quest of Joshua in ancient biblical times.

It was impossible for Joshua to penetrate the fortified walls of Jericho without the help of troops shouting and loud blowing of their horns.

George Mangion

Author: George Mangion
Published on Business Today 4th April 2019
Get in touch: info@pkfmalta.com | +356 21 493 041

PKF greets a land reclamation dream

Author: George Mangion
Published on Malta Today 21 December 2018

During a business trip to Singapore, I was fascinated by success in many sectors notwithstanding the fact that the country possesses no mineral wealth. Singapore is roughly twice the size of Malta but houses over six million citizens in a densely populated area. Singapore has a GDP per capita of $93,900, while in Malta, the GDP per capita is nearly half.

It comes as no surprise that over past decades Singapore has invested heavily in land reclamation including a massive Freeport and construction of international airports. So finally, Malta is contemplating going the same route by using the massive tonnage of debris expected to be generated from the Gozo tunnel towards land reclamation.

As can be expected, the subject of land reclamation is resisted by environmentalists and NGOs who militate against it saying such measures will upset the ecological, scientific and archaeological habitat amid other cultural values. Meanwhile, it follows that due to Malta’s size, its growing population density and burgeoning tourist sector any political announcements to encourage land reclamation are welcomed by property magnates.

Others claim top priority should be given to social housing. Of course, this is what the Housing Authority is doing – that is inviting developers to come forward to form a joint venture to finance the redevelopment and rehabilitation of derelict or vacant houses.

This is a noble cause but in the meantime, in my opinion, there is nothing to stop us from attracting new investment to emulate Singapore’s success in land reclamation. Let us stop and ponder how Malta and its geology as an island with relatively soft rock have over millennia suffered continuous erosion by mother nature.

“Being contrite, we need more elbow room to be able to enjoy spatial living conditions”

It is true that as an over-populated island, unfortunately not blessed with natural resources such as minerals, mountains or rivers, we survived handsomely and developed our skills and productive abilities to finely balance our trade balances. Currently, with low unemployment, politicians remind us that we rank as the fastest growing economy in the EU. Being contrite, we need more elbow room to be able to enjoy spatial living conditions.

Back to the subject of land reclamation, on visiting the Planning Authority website, one reads that in the past it commissioned two major studies on the subject. One dates back to 2005, which explored the idea of disposing construction waste at sea, and another feasibility study was completed in 2007 in two specific areas.

This resistance to large scale reclamation may be due to the fact that there was no foresight about a Gozo tunnel/bridge to be commissioned, even though this was mooted in each election manifesto. Unsurprisingly, there was some sympathy from PA towards a particular site of the coastline near Qalet Marku.

If it were not for the rich habitat of seagrass, one can use building debris from both the DB project and the Gozo tunnel to create a cluster of islands. Unofficially, we heard that an ERA study prefers the site at Xaghjra since the Qalet Marku site features seagrass listed as a protected habitat by EU. Naturally, the construction lobby is very much in favour of large scale land reclamation closer to the Madliena golden mile which can yield virgin land for development.

This will inevitably reduce pressure on ODZ use but designs have to blend and respect with sensitivity the aesthetic value and historical significance of the chosen site. Ideally, the Xaghra pristine coastline coincides with a political policy to move tourism to the south. Linking the southern coastline to Smart City and embellishing it with a modern promenade will support multifarious commercial, cultural and recreation activities.

Reflect on how we created a striving cruise liner industry in Valletta and Cottonera by building new jetties – on reclaimed land. Environmentalists need to balance their opposition and carefully weigh the advantages of achieving a better standard of living away from the frenzied high-rise cacophony at Tigne and Paceville environs.

Certainly, land reclamation is not new to the Maltese islands and here I can mention with pride the privatised Freeport terminals in Birzebbuga (employing thousands) and the platform on which the Shanghai Electric power station stands. One remembers with nostalgia how reclamation improved the logistics at Msida.

Originally when the parish church was built it was facing the sea. Really and truly, there will always be an ecological price to pay. The hardest hit, from a purely environmental standpoint, is obviously the seabed. Its integrity in terms of physical characteristics is ruined due to wiping out any biodiversity thriving on a particular site.

The obvious collateral damage to the Posidonia oceanica meadows (seagrass) that lie over large tracts of seabed at shallow depths around Qalet Marku merits serious consideration. Needless to say, the ecological significance of such meadows is well known in terms of stabilising the seabed and serving as nurture grounds for an immense variety of ethnic species and other marine organisms.

Also, any illegal dumping of inert waste at sea to build retaining walls for breakwater extensions disturbs the water column, contributing to turbidity. Ecologists warn us that substantial dumping takes ages to settle down as disturbed sediment on the seafloor and unassailably lowers the photosynthetic capabilities of aquatic species in that particular site to the detriment of the marine ecosystem as a whole.

Another concern is the toxic element inherent in unsorted waste such as heavy metals, burnt oil or other chemical species that could be absorbed by the marine ecosystem and in the process go to contaminate food chains. The implications in terms of the resultant particulate matter levels in ambient air – for example, white and black specks of dust produced as a result of heavy machinery to move material – cannot be underestimated.

So now that the Government is keen to issue tenders to excavate a 13-kilometre-long subsea tunnel, evil tongues will start to wax about the sensitive process how to select the preferred bidders. The tunnel is certainly a controversial topic that has long fired the ambition of savvy politicians yet also divided opinions on the justification of its massive cost just to placate a daily hustle of a few thousand commuters.

Alternatively, pundits say commissioning a fleet of fast ferries can instantly solve the connection conundrum. Lest we forget – the country is still stuck in a €6 billion debt mountain. The question, therefore, stands: Is the tunnel a ruse or is it for real? Are foreign investors interested?

If the government has the vision to build a tunnel alongside a reclamation project and triumphs by mollifying opposition from an environmentalist lobby, then that will be the day when Malta can rise like a later-day Phoenix out of the ashes. Exultantly, we deserve the title of a novel ‘Singapore in the Med’.

Merry Christmas to all readers!

George Mangion

Author: George Mangion
Published on Malta Today 21 December 2018
Get in touch: info@pkfmalta.com | +356 21 493 041

Mother Nature – combating climate change

Author: George Mangion
Published on MaltaToday 19 September 2018

Climate change by definition is a process which may be caused by a number of factors including natural, be it geologic, oceanographic and atmospheric events and human-induced factors, the most relevant of which is the emission of greenhouse gases through human processes such as burning of fossil fuels.

Can we tell if the constant barrage in the media to combat climate change is not another hoax like the millennium bug? What is an undeniable fact points to the increase in carbon dioxide concentrations and other greenhouse gases, such as methane and nitrous oxide caused by our activities – mainly due to the explosion in car ownership, not to mention attracting more heavy industry.

Reliable sources tell us there is undeniable evidence pointing to the fact that carbon dioxide has been on the increase in the past two decades. Readers may expect this is another article extolling the benefits of clean air resulting from massive new investment in plants generating Green energy – the truth is not many shed tears for our lack of success in reducing the national carbon footprint which undoubtedly is contributing to climate change.

Between 1990 and 2007 we have seen our greenhouse gas emissions increase by almost 50%. It’s time to start reducing such emissions in order to mitigate the effect of climate change. It is vital that each individual in our society gets involved in this process and that everyone does something to reduce the impact of climate change.

Only then can we protect our environment, society and economy, and only when each individual gets involved can we safeguard a better and safe future for future generations. There have been various conferences and press releases by the EU extolling the benefits of Renewable Energy Systems and various attempts were made by Brussels to propose ambitious goals for Member States to step up their investment in Green energy.

The target is that by 2020, the EU would seek to obtain 20% of its total energy consumption requirements with renewable energy sources. Malta has so far been a laggard in this regard albeit steps have so far been taken.

As a definition renewable energy includes wind, solar, hydro-electric and tidal power as well as geothermal energy and biomass and from studies published by the EU one notes that Germany leads the pack as a country which has invested the highest amount in this sector claiming to be the world’s first major renewable energy economy (in 2010, investments total 26 billion euros).

According to official figures, some 370,000 people in Germany were employed in the renewable energy sector in 2010, and it is no surprise to discover that most companies benefiting from this sector are small and medium sized companies.

Certainly, concentrations of carbon dioxide in the Mediterranean have increased along with the atmospheric concentrations and this is giving us colder winters and higher humidity in summers. All lines of evidence taken together make it unambiguous that the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations is human induced and is predominantly a result of fossil fuel burning.

It is a fact that greenhouse gases when controlled can serve a useful purpose that is to absorb infrared radiation from the sun and re-emit it in all directions. Without this natural greenhouse effect, primarily resulting in creation of water vapour and resultant carbon dioxide which functions like a shield to protect the Earth surface, the mean surface temperature would be intolerable.

Thanks to this shield we enjoy a habitable average temperature. We also have the issue of sea level rise. It is estimated that over this century we will encounter sea-level rise of between 0.18 and 0.69m. In the case of Malta, this is of major concern due to the fact that a substantial quantity of land in severe climate change causes it to be permanently submerged under water. The east coast will be particularly hit, especially low lying areas such as Sliema, Gżira and Msida, among others.

As it happens, another important aspect is that unfortunately major infrastructure and road networks, as well as some of the most vital economic and industrial areas are situated close to the shore. It goes without saying that sea-level rise will particularly impact our economy.

It begs the question why Malta with good exposure to rays of the sun has still not succeeded to increase production of electricity to EU levels from use of photovoltaic panels to the 10% threshold. One may observe that awareness in Malta of the benefits of using such technology has changed since the arrival of Shanghai Electric which in the near future is reputed to invest a substantial amount in PV panels – all linked to the national grid.

Why is PV technology so popular? The answer is because a solar cell is the elementary building block of the photovoltaic technology. Recently research in new technology has been making giant steps, by testing new prototypes made of semiconductor materials, such as silicon which due to their properties makes them highly conductive and in turn uses ingenious ways to capture the energy of the sun and convert it to electricity through an inverter.

Simply fitting more panels on rooftops seems easy but the demographic and geographic characteristics of the island create issues of spatial planning, given that in reality it is a very small and densely populated state. But rejoice as it is not all doom and gloom.

Having started from zero in 1995 there has been a huge leap in the number of rooftop installations to date. Official statistics indicate that PV has grown at an average yearly rate of 35% from 1995 to 2005 (1,8 kW to 40 kW) and of 63% between 2005 and 2010. Ask any architect and he will point out that spatial planning takes into consideration the issue of devoting more open areas to renewable energy systems (RES) often clash with other planning needs and for this reason large-scale RES installations are not practical in Malta.

In conclusion, can the environment minister succeed to catch up with other EU states and achieve the desired target of 20% of total energy sourced from non-fossil fuels by 2020 – the easy answer is the possible we do now, miracles can wait.

George Mangion

Author: George Mangion
Published on MaltaToday 19 September 2018
Get in touch: info@pkfmalta.com | +356 21 493 041

References:

MRA (2009): Malta Resource Authority, Analysis of Potential for Co-Generation on the Maltese Islands.

Available at:

<www.mra.org.mt/Downloads/Publications/Analysis%20of%20Cogeneration%20Potential.pdf> (last accessed on 11 May 2011).

NREAP (2010): National Renewable Energy Action Plan (Malta). Available at:

<http://ec.europa.eu/energy/renewables/transparency_platform/action_plan_en.htm> (last accessed on 11 May 2011).