Engineering firm AFRY is supporting state-owned Interconnect Malta (ICM) on a process for defining and awarding offshore renewables concessions in the island’s exclusive economic zones in the Mediterranean Sea.
The process of awarding offshore renewables concessions ensures the development of clean energy sources is carried out in a well-regulated, sustainable and beneficial manner, addressing energy needs, environmental concerns, economic growth, and climate change mitigation.
The work will be delivered by AFRY Management Consulting together with AFRY’s Energy engineering team and will cover two complementary aspects, technical and commercial.
The technical tasks are helping the Maltese government to identify geographical areas, technologies, impacts on the network and development processes said the company.
It added the commercial tasks will allow the country to evaluate the relationship between risk versus return and prices, enabling informed business decisions and ensuring optimal resource allocation as well as alignment with long-term objectives.
“We take pride in bringing our interdisciplinary skills to the forefront to support Malta’s transition towards sustainability,” said vice president and global head of renewable energy at AFRY Peter Plug.
“Our holistic approach, encompassing technical and commercial expertise, positions us as a valuable partner in this strategic project.
“It’s noteworthy that our recent acquisition of BLIX Consulting has significantly bolstered our offshore wind competencies with its unique and specialised expertise, further empowering us to play a pivotal role in Malta’s green energy transition.
In January 2021, Malta joined other EU member states in a non-binding agreement for the deployment of offshore renewables in the south and west offshore grid priority corridor, with the country aiming to develop offshore floating clean energy installations in its economic zones.
Established in 2021, ICM is a government-owned company under the responsibility of the Ministry for the Environment, Energy and Enterprise.
It is entrusted with the development of major energy infrastructure projects, including Interconnector 2, the second electricity HVAC Cable link between Malta and Italy, the Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) project at Marsa and Delimara, offshore renewables and the Melita TransGas Hydrogen-Ready Pipeline, which has been identified as a Project of Common Interest by the European Union.