Projects

Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)

InterConnect Malta has been entrusted the responsibility to implement Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) to be connected to the Maltese National electric grid network.

“Grid-scale storage plays an important role in the EU Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario, providing important system services that range from short-term balancing and operating reserves, ancillary services for grid stability and deferment of investment in new transmission and distribution lines, to long-term energy storage and restoring grid operations following a blackout.” (IEA, 2022)

BESS presents an important potential contribution for Malta to achieve its EU decarbonisation commitments and feature in the Malta Low Carbon Development Strategy and Malta’s 2030 National Energy and Climate Plan

Procurement Procedures

A tender was issued and awarded for contracting qualified consultants acting as project designers during the design and procurement of these system.

Commercial & Regulatory

Project Benefits

  1. Store energy generated by renewables during hours of maximum delivery and use it during peaks, thus flattening the variance between day and evening on conventional generation plant output. This in turn is expected to increase the efficiency of the conventional plant in operation and thus reduce its emissions. Excess RES generated will be stored and then used to displace the starting up/ramping up of CO2 emitting plants.
  2. Reduce the effect of the variability and intermittency caused by renewables, in periods of variable cloud cover, and thus permit the operation of conventional plant in a more stable manner, with inherent gains in plant reliability, plant emissions and CO2 emission savings.
  3. Provide a source of secure supply in cases of plant outages thereby enhancing the grid’s resilience and stability,
  4. Address grid bottlenecks to accelerate the penetration of RES and offer solutions to alleviate congestion in the distribution network,
  5. Provide black start facility capable of restarting the power station and grid in the event of a total shutdown and supply power to part of the network.
  6. Enable the ingress of further RES, including large-scale renewable energy offshore projects, thereby reducing the use of fossil fuels for electricity generation
  7. Provide fast frequency and voltage stabilisation to the Maltese grid in case Malta is isolated from the Italian grid because of maintenance or faults.

Timeline: Marsa A-Station

2023
 
April

Published tender to engage consultants to act as project designers during the Design and Procurement of BESS

May

Started evaluation of bids received following closure of tender submission period

Submitted project description statements (PDS) to the ERA for both Delimara and Marsa A-station BESS        
 
     
June

ERA reviews the Project Description Statement and confirms that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is not required

Awarded tender for the consultants to act as project designers during Design and Procurement of BESS        
 
     
August

The Planning Authority in Malta validated the application and formally initiated the statutory period
  
2024
 
July

Official permits for the project were granted, as follows: Marsa A-Station (PA 4651/23): Permit was issued on July 3, 2024. 
 
November

Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) tender (CT3026/24) for the Design and Build of two utility scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) at the A-Station tunnel in Marsa and Delimara Power Station in an environmentally friendly manner was issued, marking the next phase of the project.
     
2025
 
 
February

The EPC tender CT3026/24 is currently open for submissions, inviting interested parties to bid for the project.    
 
May

Expected Contract Signature
     
  
2026
 
 
June

Project Implementation: Marsa A-Station: Maximum of 18 months. The implementation phase is expected to commence around June 2025. The time limits for the execution of the contract are determined by EU funding constraints. Marsa A-Station is being fully financed under the Recovery and Resilience Fund (RRF), with the commitment of these funds ending on 30 June 2026.   

Timeline: Delimara Power Station

2023
 
April

Published tender to engage consultants to act as project designers during the Design and Procurement of BESS

May

Started evaluation of bids received following closure of tender submission period
 
Submitted project description statements (PDS) to the ERA for both Delimara and Marsa A-station BESS
         
 
     
June
 
ERA reviews the Project Description Statement and confirms that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is not required

Awarded tender for the consultants to act as project designers during Design and Procurement of BESS 
       
 
     
August

The Planning Authority in Malta validated the application and formally initiated the statutory period
  
  
 
2024
 
July

Official permits for the project were granted, as follows: Marsa A-Station (PA 4651/23): Permit was issued on July 3, 2024. 
 
November

Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) tender (CT3026/24) for the Design and Build of two utility scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) at the A-Station tunnel in Marsa and Delimara Power Station in an environmentally friendly manner was issued, marking the next phase of the project.
     
2025
 
 
February

The EPC tender CT3026/24 is currently open for submissions, inviting interested parties to bid for the project.    
 
May

Expected Contract Signature
     
    
2027
 
 
June

Project Implementation: DPS: Maximum of 24 months. The implementation phase is expected to commence around June 2025. The time limits for the execution of the contract are determined by EU funding constraints. Delimara is considered for co-financing under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Programme 2021-2027.
 
  
     

Funding

The BESS project will be split into two main projects

The first Project (BESS 1) will be funded from the Recovery and Resilience Fund (RRF) and is planned to be located at close proximity to the Marsa North Distribution Centre.

The second Project (BESS 2) will have a larger capacity than the first and will be funded from the ERDF programme. This storage system will be located within the precincts of the Delimara Power Station.

Project Brief

Interconnect Malta Ltd. (ICM) has been entrusted the responsibility to implement two Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) to be connected to the Maltese National electric grid network.

BESS is essentially a group of large batteries configured to store and dispatch electrical energy with very fast response when required.

The first system (BESS 1), rated at 20MWh (8MW), will be located in the underground tunnels of the former Marsa power station while the second system (BESS 2) shall have a rating 64MWh (32MW) and shall be located within the precincts of the Delimara power station.

This project is in alignment with Malta’s energy and climate strategies, as it emphasises the integration of energy emanating from renewable sources and the mitigation of energy curtailment, thus enhancing energy security and reducing carbon emissions.

BESS shall contribute towards enabling Malta to achieve its EU decarbonisation commitments, as it counters the intermittency characterising Variable Renewable Energy Sources (VRES) such as solar PV and stabilises the grid among the potential provision of other services.

It is estimated that the Delimara project will cost €35 million, with that in Marsa costing €12 million. BESS 1 will be 100% funded from the Recovery and Resilience Fund (RRF) while BESS 2 is being considered for co-financing under the ERDF programme 2021-2027.

 The BESS project is also intended to mitigate weather-related challenges posed by renewable energy sources, which are reliant on climatic conditions and can therefore lead to significant dips in generation during moments of sudden cloud coverage severely affecting the PV generation in Malta.

Having battery-stored renewable energy will also allow the country to reduce its reliance on fossil fuel-generated power at peak times.

ICM has submitted development permitting applications for both the Marsa and Delimara projects have been filed with the Planning Authority.

Project Brief in Maltese and English