Dalli floats third interconnector as second remains undelivered

Energy Minister Miriam Dalli is once again promoting the possibility of a third electricity interconnector, even as the long-promised second cable between Malta and Italy remains years away from completion.

The timing is notable. With an election approaching, Dalli appears to be returning to a familiar tactic: announcing new large-scale projects amid growing criticism that she has struggled to deliver on existing commitments.

The second interconnector was a flagship pledge of the Labour Party in its 2022 electoral manifesto, billed as essential to strengthen energy security and support Malta’s transition towards renewable energy. Yet more than four years later, the project remains under development, with no clearly confirmed delivery date.

Despite this, Dalli has now begun signalling the need for additional infrastructure, including a potential third interconnector, raising questions about whether the government is attempting to shift attention from delayed projects to new announcements.

The delay is particularly significant given Malta’s continued dependence on imported energy.

The second interconnector was intended to reduce reliance on a single cable link to Sicily while enabling greater integration of renewable energy. Without it, efforts to diversify the country’s energy mix remain constrained.

Miriam Dalli’s latest pre-election proposals come against the backdrop of slow implementation within her ministry.

While the government has prioritised keeping energy prices stable through substantial subsidies, longer-term structural reforms appear to lag.

Increasingly viewed by figures within government as underperforming in delivering major infrastructure, Dalli now faces renewed scrutiny over whether a focus on future projects is masking gaps in execution.

Questions over delivery extend beyond the energy sector.

One of Labour’s headline 2022 pledges, the large-scale “greening” of Malta, has also seen limited tangible progress. Despite a reported €700 million budget allocation, little has materialised beyond administrative changes, including the appointment of Dalli’s close friends to lead Project Green. This includes disgraced former MFSA CEO Joseph Cuschieri.

According to Dalli, the network of new public parks promised under this initiative will now be delivered after the election.