Professional Documents
Culture Documents
1. Introduction
2. Objectives
3. Legislative and Policy Framework
4. Definitions
5. Criteria for Location of Solar Farm Development
6. Design Criteria and Mitigation Measures
7. Evaluation of Proposals
8. Conclusion
1. Introduction
At present, the Maltese islands have an isolated national electrical system,
with Marsa and Delimara power stations supplying all energy needs. Both power
stations are predominantly operating on heavy fuel oil, compelling Malta to rely
on imported fuel for its energy needs. Insularity and the limited energy mix are
being addressed through significant infrastructural projects including the 200MW
HVAC subsea cable linking Malta with Sicily and the European grid, and the
construction of a 215MW gas fired combined cycle gas turbine plant (CCGT)
which shall also include a new LNG delivery, storage, re-gasification and natural
gas supply facility at Delimara. The LNG Combined Cycle plant is intended to run
as base load whilst the interconnector will supply electricity when required and
when economically viable. This is consistent with the Governments strategy of
meeting the Islands energy demands at the lowest long-term cost, taking full
account of safety, environmental and all related responsibilities.
1.1.
The energy mix shall also include renewable energy sources, in line with
Maltas commitment to reach the 10% target of renewable energy share in the
final energy consumption by 2020. The drastic reduction in the prices of PV
panels has provided an alternative, cost-effective path for Malta to reach its 2020
RES target. Projected PV capacity as at end of 2014, based on existing
installations and applications for the allocation of a feed-in-tariff, stands at
~60MWp, whilst the projected annual additional PV capacity is 15-25MWp.
1.2.
1.3.
1.4.
This policy this starts to provide a definition of a solar farm and sets out the
fundamental criteria which MEPA deems appropriate to guide the planning and
design of solar farm development and the proper evaluation of applications for
such schemes. The policy also provides for solar farms development, with a
priority given to large scale rooftops, car parks, industrial areas and quarries, as
further amplified in Section 5.2. The policy furthermore, encourages solar farm
development which achieves dual or multiple uses of land, to ensure that urban
areas are exploited in a more efficient manner.
1.5.
1.6.
1.7.
1.8.
2. Objectives
2.1
The Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA), together with the
Ministry of Energy and Health (MEH) have been requested by the Government to
formulate a policy framework, for the development of solar farms in order to:
i.
ii.
iii.
A technical committee including representatives from both MEPA and MEH met a
number of times to discuss proposals and details related to this policy. The policy
objective communicated for public consultation was:
to establish a policy framework which shall define a solar farm, provide guidance for the location
of new solar farms with a priority, but not exclusively, for large scale roof tops, for land already
committed to industrial development and for quarries; and to identify potential impacts to be
addressed
2.2
This was followed by a campaign to gauge the publics interest in solar farms,
which also served to collate suggestions on potential sites/areas for solar farm
construction. Seventy-two submissions were received in response to this request.
2.3
An exercise to map all the seventy-two submissions received was
undertaken. Quarries and rooftops totaled circa 1 square kilometer, with the majority
being quarries (86%) which were further assessed for the potential in view of their
status yielding just under 0.7km2 of available area. This could theoretically
accommodate around 50MWp1 of PVs and would contribute by almost a third of the
projected PV capacity necessary to meet Maltas 2020 target, under a scenario with
no major Wind Farm projects. This exercise entailed various site visits in order to
identify these quarries and determine their current status.
2.4
The Public Submissions document including the public submissions on the
objectives of this policy, with the MEPAs reactions thereto, is found in a separate
document.
On 5th June 2009, The Directive on the Promotion of the use of Energy from
Renewable Sources (2009/28/EC) (RES Directive) was published as part of the
Climate-Energy Package, entering into force on 25th June 2009. This Directive is
transposed into Maltese law by Legal Notice 538 of 2010 Promotion of Energy
from Renewable Sources Regulations, 2010.3.2
The RES Directive
establishes a common framework for the promotion of energy from renewable
sources and encompasses Directive 2003/30/EC on the promotion of the use of
biofuels or other renewable fuels for transport, and Directive 2001/77/EC on the
promotion of electricity produced from renewable sources in the internal
electricity market, transposed into national legislation by LN 186 of 2004.The
Directive has set a mandatory target to all EU member states to reach an overall
20% renewable energy by 2020. Malta has been allocated a 10% target.
3.3
Effective figure depends on topography of site, effective usable area, and panel arrangement.
The first draft of the National Energy Policy for the Maltese islands was
launched for consultation in 2006. It was then re-launched for public consultation
in 2009, to take into account the different energy options to achieve the 2020
target.
3.5
The National Energy Policy was published in December 2012 and sets out a
set of measures to enable Maltas transition from total dependency on fossil fuels,
towards an energy mix scenario to ensure:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
While the principles of the Policy remain valid, the roadmap to achieve the policy
objectives has to be aligned with the new administrations work program.
3.8
Over the years, MEPA has adopted the policy documents Code of Practice
for Quarry Working and Restoration (1993) and Inert Waste Disposal in
Quarries (1997). Other instruments include the Waste Management
(Management of Waste from Extractive Industries and Backfilling) Regulations
(Legal Notice 22 of 2009, as amended). In any case, the restorative backfilling of
disused quarries requires a clearance from the MRA to confirm, that the mineral
extraction within a particular quarry is exhausted and that backfilling would not
have adverse impacts on the underground water resources.
3.10 Part 13.3 of the Development Control Policy and Design Guidance 2007
makes provision for the mounting of Photovoltaic (PV) Modules. The policy allows
the installation of photovoltaic solar modules within the curtilage of buildings;
on the roofs of buildings subject to maximum heights and setbacks; and
within the fabric of a building, provided that the installation would not have
an adverse visual impact on the building, or the area. These arrays are generally
light and mounted on free-standing frames, which can be tilted and rotated to the
most suitable orientation and pitch according to the sites location and seasonal
variation to maximise collection.
4. Definitions
4.1For the purpose of this policy the following definitions shall apply:
TERM
Definition
Solar Farm
Inactive
Quarries
Restored
quarries
Disused
quarries
Vertical
quarries
Natura 2000
site/s
Development
Zone
Source: http://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/data/natura-2000
4.2
In 2003, there were 66 active licensed quarries in Malta and Gozo. Obviously
this number excludes quarries that are suspended, no longer operational, or
exhausted.
4.3
At present, the Environmental Permitting and Industry Unit within MEPA,
controls all local quarries that fall under Directive 2006/21/EC transposed into
National Legislation by Legal Notice 22 of 2009 Waste Management
(Management of Waste from Extractive Waste and Backfill) Regulations. MEPA
permits backfilling of quarries as part of effective waste management.
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
(vi)
(vii)
Inappropriate sites
5.3
Proposals for the development of solar farms shall not be approved on any
sites situated in the following areas:
(i)
(ii)
Open countryside;
Protected or scenic areas or other evidently sensitive locations (eg.
Scheduled areas);
(iii) Natura 2000 sites;
(iv) Fertile and tilled arable land;
(v)
Sloping sites (especially those facing north);
(vi) Garrigue (xagri) and maquis;
(vii) Valleys;
(viii) Afforested areas;
(ix) Areas of Archaeological, Cultural or Scientific interest;
(x)
Ridge edges, or sites with considerable breaks of slope;
(xi) Sites where the intervention cannot be realistically accommodated
without necessitating major-impact interventions such as: substantial
removal of mature natural vegetation/trees, dismantling of old rubble
walls (itan tas-sejjieg), reprofiling of terraced fields, or substantial
topographic re-engineering works;
(xii) Sites where significant infrastructural works are required to connect the
installation to the grid.
Ensure that the solar farm fits appropriately in the site topography;
Limit the height of the panels above the surrounding terrain;
Introduce appropriate context-adapted boundary treatment and
peripheral landscaping;
(iv) Include underground ancillary infrastructure, where possible;
(v)
Limit trenching work to existing routes;
(vi) Avoid the formation of new or altered access routes;
(vii) Limit the scale of infrastructure according to the scale of the solar farm;
(viii) Ensure that interventions on site are reasonably reversible;
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(ix)
(x)
(xi)
(xii)
7. Evaluation of proposals
7.1
Development proposals of ground-mounted solar farms, should always be
accompanied by mitigation measures which seek to minimize any adverse
impact.
7.2
7.3
Depending on the size and location of a ground-mounted solar farm and on its
ancillary interventions, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and/or
Appropriate Assessment may be necessary. An EIA is generally relevant in the
case of relatively large projects, or projects with potentially significant impacts
that require further study. An Appropriate Assessment is relevant to projects with
likely significant impacts on Natura 2000 sites. Project proposals will need to be
screened accordingly on a case-by-case basis; and any need for such
assessments would apply, without prejudice to the required fulfillment of the
criteria set out in this policy.
7.4
7.5
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8. Conclusion
Individuals and organizations are being invited to send their submissions pertaining
to this draft policy in writing to:
MEPA,
Chief Executive Officer,
Solar Farms Policy
P.O. Box 200, Marsa MRS 1000;
or through email address: solarfarms.policy@mepa.org.mt.
Submissions should reach the Authority by Friday 13th February 2015.
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