Power Cuts Worsen Affecting Thousands Of Homes As Enemalta CEO Says There’s No Guarantee Of A Fix During Heatwave
The escalating heatwave has proven to be a challenge for Enemalta, as the company battles widespread power cuts affecting thousands of homes all over Malta and Gozo.
Eight high voltage cable faults have been reported, causing further significant disruption across the country.
Despite efforts to manage the crisis, Enemalta’s CEO, Jonathan Cardona, has confessed that the persistent high temperatures and resulting cable faults mean that there is no guarantee of a power supply during the ongoing heatwave.
In a week that can only be described as nightmarish for Enemalta, the company has faced a record-breaking demand for electricity that has surpassed 600 megawatts for the first time, notably reaching 624 megawatts on Thursday.
The total capacity of the country stands at 830 megawatts. Although the current output remains within the country’s power capacity, the sweltering heatwave has revealed defects in the infrastructure that are causing widespread and prolonged power cuts.
The situation is especially worse in areas such as Żurrieq, where over two days without power have been reported. Power outages have also heavily affected other areas like Naxxar, Mosta, and neighbouring localities.
Despite the tough circumstances, Enemalta Chairman Ryan Fava denied allegations of ‘load shedding’ or rationing of electricity supply, made by Opposition energy spokesperson Mark Anthony Sammut.
Fava clarified that Enemalta is adjusting the energy load on different substations to compensate for any outages in the surrounding areas.
With the Met Office forecasts temperatures to remain above 40 degrees Celsius until the middle of next week, the situation is only bound to get worse, with tensions on a serious rise across the islands.
What are your experiences so far with the power cuts?