VALLETTA, July 27 (Xinhua) -- The Malta-Italy gas pipeline which will connect Malta to the European gas network grid should be operational by 2024, announced Maltese Energy Minister Joe Mizzi on Thursday.
Mizzi said that a development application had been formally submitted to the Planning Authority in Malta and the Italian Ministry for Economic Development.
He added that the European Commission identified this as a "project of common interest", eligible for a fast-track planning process. However, this was still expected to take three-and-a-half years at most.
Permits are thus expected to be obtained by 2020, with the objective then being to complete the project within a timeframe between 24 and 36 months, confirmed Mizzi.
At an estimated cost of 322 million euros (377 million U.S. dollars), the pipeline will replace the currently moored gas tanker supplying the power plant in Delimara, in the south of Malta.
Stretching over a span of 159 km, the two landing points for the pipeline will be Delimara in Malta, and Gela in Italy.
The Maltese government will be commissioning environmental impact studies and a marine survey, costing a total of 8 million euros, which will be financed by the EU.
