Antich pushing ahead with under water gas link

Balearic Chief Minister Francesc Antich will today push ahead with plans to sink an under-water gas pipe between Valencia and Palma, via Ibiza, when he meets Valencian Chief Minister, Eduardo Zaplana, for talks this morning. The ambitious project will cost an estimated 44'000 million pesetas, but Antich, who will be accompanied by the Minister for Energy, Misericordia Ramón, is convinced that a natural gas supply pipe from Oliva in Valencia to Palma, will help guarantee power for the islands in the future. When the Chief Minister of Valencia was first asked about the project, he said he know nothing about the idea, but has since been briefed by the local government. The plan for the pipeline has been drawn up in the wake of seven days of power cuts Majorca and Minorca were forced to endure earlier this summer which highlighted the need for alternative power supplies to be considered in order to meet the growing demand in the Balearics.