Enemalta, Malta's primary energy services provider, is taking steps to modernize its national electricity distribution grid in collaboration with Siemens. This move comes after Malta experienced significant power challenges during a major heatwave in 2023, which resulted in record-high temperatures and increased demand for air conditioning, leading to widespread outages.
The partnership aims to address these issues by implementing Siemens' Gridscale X platform. Sabine Erlinghagen, CEO of Siemens Grid Software, stated, “Grid congestion has become a real threat to the energy transition. That’s why we are proud to be working with Enemalta to address their key operational challenges, moving from reactive maintenance to predictive management."
Ryan Fava, Executive Chairman of Enemalta, expressed optimism about the collaboration: “Malta is ramping up second-generation smart meter coverage. With additional data unlocked, it will be possible to manage grids on a new dimension."
Gridscale X is part of Siemens Xcelerator and offers capabilities that enhance transparency in low-voltage networks. It utilizes data from smart meters to detect outages and visualize grid congestion. The pilot phase at Enemalta is set to begin in November 2024 with a full rollout planned over the next three years.