The Energy and Water Agency has launched the 7th call of its Research and Innovation Scheme in Energy and Water, allocating €400,000 to projects addressing key national challenges in the energy and water sectors.
The call was announced during a conference addressed by Minister for the Environment, Energy and Public Cleanliness Miriam Dalli and Parliamentary Secretary for Youth, Research and Innovation Keith Azzopardi Tanti. During the event, the Energy and Water Agency also presented grant agreements to three successful projects selected under the 5th call.
Minister Miriam Dalli stated that this initiative is driving change in the Research and Innovation fields, particularly in energy and water, by allocating funding to academic researchers. “Through research, the scheme is helping to define a more sustainable and greener future. By investing in innovation and bringing together academia, the public sector and private organisations, we are supporting practical solutions to the challenges Malta faces in energy and water,” Minister Dalli said.
Parliamentary Secretary Keith Azzopardi Tanti stated: “What we are seeing today is the best example of how the Government, academia, and the private sector can work together to achieve our national goals. By combining Malta’s long-term vision with a strategic research focus, we are translating our investment into practical solutions that build the resilience needed for our future. This commitment ensures that no sector is left behind as we address a wide range of thematic areas to improve the quality of life for our people.”
Under the 7th call, funding will be available for projects focusing on brine-mining for small-scale seawater desalination systems, safe small-scale water discharge systems, low-energy package desalination systems, solar-powered mobile desalination for brackish water, the stability and operation of low-inertia power systems, renewable energy pilot projects, and the use of predictive AI for energy management in the commercial sector.
Each project may request up to €200,000 and must be submitted by a consortium. Applications open on 29 April 2026 and close on 4 September 2026.
The Energy and Water Agency presented grant agreements for three projects awarded under the 5th call. These include NUMS, with a budget of €184,510, which will develop a smart irrigation and nutrient management system using Internet of Things technology, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. The LINSOL project, with an investment of €182,681, will focus on improving water-heating systems in traditional Maltese dwellings, where electrically powered hot water boilers remain among the least efficient systems. The LIKESODA project, with a budget of €199,985, will develop a sodium-ion battery pack prototype to be tested in a realistic setting — a first for Malta.
Energy and Water Agency Chief Executive Officer Inġ. Sandro Lauri said the Agency remains committed to supporting the Research and Innovation Scheme, while encouraging greater collaboration between academic researchers and public and private organisations. “EWA remains dedicated to bringing together stakeholders from different sectors to address challenges in the energy and water sectors, in the local scenario,” Inġ. Lauri said.
Since its launch, the R&I Scheme has allocated €2.63 million to 18 projects across five calls, addressing 21 thematic areas linked to Malta’s energy and water needs. Supported projects have included work on leakage reduction, water efficiency, renewable energy, offshore energy potential, electric vehicle battery upcycling and innovative household energy solutions.
