All three Gozo high-voltage cables back online as Enemalta completes Comino repairs

Electricity supply is being restored across Gozo after Enemalta completed repairs to the fault affecting the high-voltage cable on Comino.

Enemalta said Saturday evening, that the repaired high-voltage cable on Comino had been brought back online, meaning all three high-voltage cables supplying Gozo from Malta are now back in service.

“Electricity supply is now being restored across Gozo following the completion of the repair works,” the company said.

Technical teams remain deployed across the island to deal with any localised issues that may persist as supply is progressively restored. Enemalta also thanked its technical crews, who worked through long hours and intense heat to complete the repairs.

Power outage started on Friday evening

The latest development comes after a widespread power outage left parts of Gozo without electricity from Friday evening, following faults on two of the three 33kV high-voltage feeders supplying the island.

The first fault, identified at Xewkija, was repaired earlier on Saturday, allowing Enemalta to begin progressively restoring electricity to affected localities.

At the time, the company said supply would return in stages as the network was safely brought back online.

Repair works were then focused on a second fault located along the cable route on Comino, close to Enemalta’s Distribution Centre. Excavation equipment had been transported to the island by barge to allow engineers to access the underground cable.

The two faults had left only one of Gozo’s three high-voltage feeders operational, without sufficient capacity to restore all affected customers through the normal network.

One of the island’s two distribution centres was also affected, further limiting the amount of electricity available for distribution.

Enemalta had warned customers that, while repairs were under way, electricity could be restored temporarily before another interruption occurred as available supply was managed and redistributed between different areas.

The outage affected a number of localities, including Fontana, Għajnsielem, Għarb, Għasri, Kerċem, Munxar, Nadur, Qala, Rabat, San Lawrenz, Sannat, Xagħra, Xewkija and Żebbuġ.

The disruption came amid high temperatures, causing considerable inconvenience to residents, businesses and visitors across the island.

Enemalta had said repairing underground high-voltage cables is a complex process, particularly where cables run for several kilometres. Once a fault is located and the cable exposed, engineers must establish the extent of the damage before removing the affected section.

The cable also has to undergo moisture testing, as moisture can compromise insulation and the integrity of the repair once electricity is restored. Further testing is carried out after jointing before the repaired cable can be returned to service.

With both faults now repaired and all three high-voltage feeders back in operation, Enemalta is progressively restoring electricity supply across Gozo while its technical teams continue addressing any remaining localised problems.