The Maltese administration has initiated the nation’s inaugural public call for offshore wind expansion, aimed at pre-qualifying prospective developers who will then be invited to participate in the upcoming stage(s) of the bidding process. The contractor selected through the procurement method will construct Malta’s first floating wind farm, which is projected to have an installed capacity ranging from 280 MW to 320 MW.
The government commenced the bidding process on 5 December by releasing a pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ). The PQQ was expected to be published by the end of this year, following the Maltese government’s announcement in a consultation document related to the national Budget 2025, issued this September, indicating that they were working on launching the pre-qualification.
The floating wind farm is designed to have an installed capacity of between 280 MW and 320 MW and will be constructed at an offshore location outside Malta’s territorial waters, within an area that will be designated by Malta as its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
The now-released PQQ specifies the particulars of the project and the procurement process, allowing interested parties to showcase their technical and financial competencies. This information will subsequently be utilized to shortlist the top-ranking firms for the next stage, according to the Maltese government, which will select only the leading 5 candidates to advance if more than 5 qualify.
The subsequent phase is the Invitation to Participate in Dialogue (ITPD), during which the selected candidates will present preliminary proposals that will serve as a foundation for discussions.
After the dialogue phase, the Best and Final Offer (BAFO) stage will be initiated, where the government invites the shortlisted candidates who qualified in the PQQ stage to submit a final offer for the project, including a detailed technical and financial proposal, and subject to the terms and conditions outlined in the invitation to tender. Only the offers submitted during the call for the Best and Final Offer will be considered binding proposals, as per the PQQ documentation.
During the announcement of the launch of the nation’s first offshore wind tender on 5 December at Fort St. Angelo, Malta’s Minister for Energy, Miriam Dalli, stated: “This project is not only crucial for energy production but will also have a positive environmental impact. It addresses Malta’s spatial constraints in a sustainable manner. Unlike other proposals discussed in the past, this project has been meticulously planned.”
“Malta is taking the initiative in achieving this objective, having brought together Mediterranean nations to establish this principle,” remarked the minister.
The nation’s Prime Minister Robert Abela noted that the launch of the public call was “a significant step from words to action” and that the floating wind project will enhance Malta’s energy diversification and increase the use of renewable energy.
“This technology continues to advance, and our country is poised to shape a sustainable future,” stated Robert Abela.
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