Tourism
Dr Ing Tonio Sant is Senior Lecturer, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Chairman of the Institute for Sustainable Energy, University of Malta.
University of Malta has been collecting wind data in the Maltese Islands for more than 15 years. Analysis of such long-term data shows that the local wind conditions are promising. M Is the technology for building wind farms in deeper waters reliable and commercially viable? TS Deep water technology is still in research and demonstration stage. At University, we are currently undertaking a research project funded by the Malta Council for Science and Technology to design a bottom-mounted steel support structure that can support 5 Megawatt offshore turbines in depths of 70 metres in Maltese conditions. If such technology is proven viable, it will open up the opportunity for an area between five and 18 kilometres offshore. The area which covers part of Hurd Bank is large enough to accommodate a 350MW wind farm – with an upgraded electricity grid infrastructure, this can provide 16 per cent of the total energy demand in 2020.
Floating technology would offer larger potential for Malta as it makes it possible to position Megawatt-scale turbines in very deep waters ranging from 100 to 800 metres. This would enable us to site the wind farms far away from the coast where permitting is much simpler. Luckily, today there is a lot of interest by the academia and industry alike to develop this technology. Two large-scale
floating turbine prototypes have been installed in the past three years, one in Norway and the other in Portugal. While the results have been encouraging, the demonstrated technology is still comparatively very expensive. I think we have to wait some five to 10 years more for floating technology to go through a commercialisation process. M What are the negative effects of wind farms? TS Wind turbines have to be large to be cost effective and consequently they will have a visual impact, although this can be mitigated by careful positioning. Whether the visual element is positive or negative ultimately depends on how we perceive things. I find modern turbines as beautiful rotating structures, symbol of technology advancement and a sign of a country’s commitment to safeguard our environment, health and quality of life. Today we have accustomed ourselves to various developments that have created significant visual impact locally – what about the visual impact created by around 250,000 vehicles on our roads every day or our urban areas that have been allowed to grow with lack of sensitivity to aesthetic aspect?
Wind farms occupy less than one per cent of the land footprint to accommodate the turbine foundations. The surrounding space may still be used for other purposes such as recreation and agriculture. Also, wind turbines also
have a limited lifetime of 20 years, after which they can easily be dismantled. As for noise pollution, noise emissions from a small wind farm located around 400 metres away is lower than that from air conditioner units and fans in our households. Yet noise is still one important aspect that is assessed in depth during a wind farm’s permitting process. Research is being undertaken on the impacts of wind farms on wildlife. Most negative impacts are known to occur due the site disturbance created during the construction phase and are therefore temporary impacts. While some species have been found to coexist with wind farms, environmentalists have expressed concern about species that are permanently displaced. Yet research has also revealed that there are positive impacts on wildlife – offshore wind turbine support structures behave as artificial reefs and enhance the marine life. I was fascinated during a visit to the Beatrice wind farm to witness how seals and some seabirds have turned the offshore turbines structures into their resting place. While all measures need to be taken to protect wildlife as far as possible, we have to responsibly weigh any possible negative effects of wind farms and other renewable energy technologies against the option of keeping business as usual and allowing our high reliance on fossil fuels to cause permanent damage to our planet.
ZOOMING IN The official launch of the Canon EOS 5D Mk III and the Canon EOS 1DX was held at the Portomaso Hilton. The event was also the debut for the Canon Cinema EOS system, with the launch of the EOS C300 in Malta. The versatile and affordable XA10 professional video camera was also presented. The EOS Cinema System has recently been adopted by the BBC for its HD channels. In front of a crowd of professional photographers, videographers and media related guests, Avantech, Canon local representatives, presented a series of quality film clips courtesy of Liquorish, JP Gatt and the team from Gadgets. These were achieved using the XA10 professional video camera and the Canon EOS digital cameras. Guests were then able to familiarise themselves with all the cameras. Of particular interest to the many professional photographers present was the news given by Nick Camilleri of Avantech regarding the commencement of the Canon Professional Network in Malta – a service that has been highly anticipated but that to date has only been available abroad. Nick Camilleri also announced the appointment of the first ever Canon Ambassador for Malta – UEFA accredited photographer Domenic Aquilina – in recognition of his international achievements and loyalty to the brand. All Domenic’s images bear the trademark of Canon photographic equipment. Domenic’s unrelenting determination to succeed in his profession clearly echoes the Canon slogan – ‘With Canon You Can.’
14 - Money / Issue 14