Grab the opportunity: jobs for skilled workers, control energy costs
Posted by: kaizenlog in Kaizenlog, tags: control energy costs, Grab the opportunity: jobs for skilled workersPR2/6/2009 € ¢⒠’³ Grab the opportunity: jobs for skilled workers, control energy costs
The Green New Deal is the main thrust of our campaign. € ¢ As we had to occasion to point out on numerous occasions, The Green New Deal is a set of measures which will generate 5 million new jobs in the environmental sector throughout the EU in a wide variety of areas € ¢⒠’³ from agriculture to manufacturing to transport. Today we would like to illustrate a practical application for Malta of the Green New Deal.
Ralph Cassar, spokesperson for energy, industry and transport explained AD€ ¢⒠’¹s vision. So far the government has proposed two on-shore sites (Wied Rini and Hal Far) and an offshore site (Sikka il-Bajda) for the siting of wind turbines. € ¢ We are in favour of both onshore and offshore sites and think that onshore wind farms will enable Malta to build the necessary technical capacity and skills to venture into this technology. The price of energy from onshore wind farms is the same and even cheaper than energy from our power stations. Obviously the amount of land space is a limiting factor in the amount of energy we can produce from land based wind farms. The limitation with offshore is the cost involved. There is however another option, that of wind turbines on floating platforms which basically use the same type of technology as oil rigs. This technology is being been used in Tricase, in the region of Puglia, Italy. The Maltese government should follow closely these developments since
this solution may be part of the answer to Malta reaching its clean energy targets.
What is interesting about this project is that the skills which were available at the Malta shipyards and drydocks can be used to good effect to build such wind farms in Malta. I remind you of the Appledore report in 1994 which had called for the diversification of the shipyards. One suggestion was to convert part of the shipyards into a solar panel manufacturing company. Floating platform wind farms and wind turbines are another area in which the skill base of former shipyard workers can be used. We cannot afford to keep loosing the skills gained through years of experience of ship repair now that these same or similar skills can be used in an industry which is showing phenomenal rates of growth all over the world.
AD is in favour of a mix of different sources. Today as one example of the potential of creating new jobs in the sector of wind farms only we are presenting a scenario in which all the 10% from renewable energy by 2020 according to the Renewables Directive is obtained from wind. This will amount to approximately 338,000 MWh of electrical energy. This demand can be met by installing approximately 40 3.6 MW wind turbines of off-shore platforms. Part of this amount can be also obtained from land-based wind farms.
Such an offshore platform wind farm will cost a little bit more than € ¢⒢¬390,000,000 spread over 25 years and will generate electricity at € ¢⒢¬0.083 per unit (maintenance costs included, 15% profit included. Currently electricity from Enemalta costs € ¢⒢¬0.17 per unit). This is even cheaper than energy generated from oil and that is excluding the social costs of pollution and other hidden costs.
Such a venture has potential in the employment sector, since these wind turbines would have to be assembled on-shore and would require periodic maintenance, it is estimated this can create from 160 to 230 full time jobs in the medium term (figure for land based wind farms is of 4.8 jobs per MW installed based on data from the American Wind Energy Association. The figures of 160 to 230 is a conservative estimate and does not take into account the possibility of jobs if wind turbines are actually manufactured in Malta for the international market).
A wind farm off the northern coast of Gozo can also create much needed jobs in the region.
It is a well known fact that no industry in Malta caters for the Maltese market only and these jobs can be sustained if wind turbines are manufactured in Malta € ¢⒠’³ the demand in this sector is high and Malta should grab this opportunity to grab a part of the market which can provide jobs for a significant number of people from labourers, to technicians to engineers for years to come. The number of people employed in this sector can only increase.
Alternattiva Demokratika has also proposed schemes to have 50,000 solar water heaters and 5,000 photovoltaic panels installed in Malta and Gozo in the next five years. Saving energy and micro-energy generation should be at the centre of the country€ ¢⒠’¹s plans for energy efficiency and is also a means in ensuring the affordability of energy for normal wage earners and their families. The job creation potential, calculated for the Maltese market alone, let alone if manufacturing plants are set up in Malta are quite encouraging.
A Job creation study in California (2004) by for VOTESOLAR by University of California, Berkeley estimated that 20 manufacturing jobs and 13 installation-maintenance jobs per MW of photovoltaic installed. Using this conservative estimate for 5,000 photovoltaic panels € ¢⒠’³ 65 new jobs will be created instantly. Again the number of jobs will increase if Malta becomes a manufacturing and R&D centre for this technology. This is a long term process since Malta must build a highly skilled workforce in this knowledge intensive industry.
Estimating a conservative € ¢ 1.5 jobs for each 300 solar water heater installation and maintenance and excluding the possibility of manufacturing in Malta for both the local and international market, AD€ ¢⒠’¹s 50,000 solar water heater proposal will create 250 jobs. Obviously manufacturing in Malta and take up by more households will make these jobs sustainable in the long term.
Immediate to medium term jobs from Renewable energy and solar water heaters for the Maltese market only = 230 (wind farms) + 65 (PV) + 250 (solar) = 545 jobs
Long term investment, increasing the share of energy from renewable sources above the 10% minimum and setting up a manufacturing and R&D hub in Malta for such technologies will increase the amount of jobs, utilise the skill base already available and provide knowledge intensive jobs for Maltese and Gozitan graduates from MCAST and University while also providing manual manufacturing jobs.
Yvonne Arqueros Ebejer commented:€ ¢⒠’½People are very worried about the hike in energy prices. We cannot keep on depending totally on oil for our energy needs. We cannot go backwards and invest in dirty technology like the government is going to do in Delimara. In the European Parliament AD will work to insist that the EU promotes the move to alternative and clean sources of energy. This will make the EU and also Malta more competitive while keeping energy affordable.€ ¢⒠’½
€ ¢⒠’¼It is important that we develop such projects to ensure increased job creation through solar water heating, photovoltaics and wind energy. We need to ensure that these appliances and equipment are in the long run manufactured and produced locally,” MEP candidate and AD chairperson Arnold Cassola said. “This will also create sustainable jobs throughout the value chain and reduce the cost of these technologies. It is also very important to learn from the experiences of other countries and incentivise the take up of clean energy through preferential feed-in tariffs for those who choose to invest in such technology. In the EU according to a study by the Commission€ ¢⒠’¹s DG Energy and Transport, the renewable energy sector employed 1.4 million people and generated 58 billion Euro value added. By 2020 2.8 million can be employed in this sector alone. The potential for Malta is there. We can bring energy prices down for all, but we must not miss the boat yet again.€ ¢⒠’½
Prof. Edward Mallia, an energy expert and professor at the University of Malta and Mr. Alberto Serra representative of the wind energy industry were present for the press conference. Prof. Edward Mallia spoke of the introduce preferential feed-in tariffs for renewable energy. Preferential tariffs will boost the conversion to renewable energy, create jobs and make clean energy more affordable.
Ralph Cassar
PRO
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