Four consortia have submitted proposals to connect Malta with renewable energy projects in North Africa, responding to a Preliminary Market Consultation issued by state agency Interconnect Malta.
The submissions came from groups made up of established local and international companies with backgrounds spanning energy, infrastructure, engineering and project development. Interconnect Malta did not name any of the applicants.
Energy Minister Miriam Dalli described the level of response as encouraging, noting it reflected genuine market interest in the opportunity. She added that any future decisions would be grounded in solid technical and economic evidence and that a North Africa connection could diversify Malta’s energy supply routes, support its decarbonisation objectives and reinforce the island’s position as a Mediterranean green energy hub.
The consultation was designed to test market preparedness and gauge investor appetite for the initiative. It also sought non-binding technical and financial information, including indicative electricity prices, to help the government assess feasibility and weigh the project against alternative energy options.
The scheme has its roots in an announcement Minister Dalli made last March, when she outlined ambitions to develop North African renewable capacity equivalent to roughly 25 per cent of Malta’s annual electricity needs. Beyond direct supply, the project would position Malta as a transmission node linking North African grids to those on continental Europe, reducing dependence on any single source and growing the share of solar and wind power in the country’s energy mix.
Interconnect Malta Divisional Manager Alexandra Meli confirmed that the agency would now meet with the bidding operators to allow them to present their plans in greater detail. An appointed evaluation team will then work through the submissions, examining generation arrangements, transmission infrastructure, delivery models, indicative costs, implementation timelines and technical risks.
The findings of that evaluation will inform the government’s decision on whether any of the proposals are worth taking forward.
