Sloping Għallis structure increases landfill capacity by 330,000 cubic metres

A new project on the Għallis landfill will see its capacity maximised through vertical expansion without increasing its footprint or taking up more land.

It consists of the construction of a retaining wall structure made from the same waste that is currently being disposed of in the landfill. By constructing the wall at a 70-degree slope instead of the typical landfill slope of 30 degrees, the landfill capacity will increase by 330,000cb.m which is 130 times bigger than an Olympic-sized pool.

Environment minister Aaron Farrugia said the unique, patented technique will not require any new infrastructure or facilities to be built.

The method will optimise landfill management with the purpose of increasing the landfill lifespan, allowing Malta to make the most of the current landfill space until the waste-to-energy plant is built.

WasteServ CEO Richard Bilocca said the impressive engineering and architectural venture comes with a patented design due to its unique incline that will save on landfill space. Once completed, the wall will be around 667m long constructed out of 315,000 tonnes of waste, the equivalent of the amount of waste generated in one year. 

Farrugia said it was an environmentally friendly way of increasing the capacity whilst maintaining the original footprint.

“This plant will allow Malta to move away from landfilling by converting waste that cannot be recycled into green energy, while Malta continues to improve its performance and moves towards its targets for recyclables,” Farrugia said.