Enemalta wants to develop a 96 square metre electricity substation on undeveloped land adjacent to the police station at Ghadira Bay.

The proposed substation comes in the wake of  plans to “upgrade” Ghadira beach.

Last July,  Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi had announced that the government would be making an effort to upgrade a number of Malta’s beaches to “world-class” status through partnerships with the private sector.   He said the immediate targets were Ghadira Bay in Mellieha, and the disused Chalet site in Sliema to Tigné.

Contacted by The Shift a spokesperson for Enemalta justified the new 11KV substation as one needed to cater both present and future needs, providing spare capacity for any future requirements, “which may include new supply services or grid-connected renewable energy systems”.

Currently, customers in the central part of Ghadira are supplied through substations located further away, at other parts of Mellieha Bay. Electricity demand from these customers has increased significantly in recent years, according to the energy corporation.

“The new substation will provide Enemalta with the required resources to continue improving the quality of service to these customers, which include several businesses, without compromising service levels in nearby areas. This investment will also provide a sufficient level of network redundancy, especially during the peak summer months,” a spokesman said.

Enemalta said it was promising several measures to preserve the area’s landscape, including the planting of new trees around the structure.

The new 11kV substation at Ghadira is being developed as part of a €1.6 million project to upgrade the high voltage electricity supply connections to this area, a spokesperson for the Corporation told The Shift.

Over the past years Ghadira has seen an extension of existing commercial developments in the shape of kiosks and lidos located along the beach.