Solar farm set for approval on former Maghtab landfill

The Planning Authority is set to approve a large photovoltaic (PV) solar farm covering an area equivalent to more than seven football pitches on the site of the disused Magħtab landfill in Naxxar, seven years after the application was first submitted.

The development, consisting of over 20,000 photovoltaic panels required to produce 5MW of energy, is being proposed by Enemalta.

A case officer has recommended the solar farm for approval, with the final decision to be taken by the PA board on 31 July. The proposed solar farm will be situated on a capped section of the former Magħtab landfill known as Ta’ Żwejra — an artificial hill that dominates the existing landscape and was sealed with impermeable layers and soil in an attempt to rehabilitate the area.

Despite efforts to reintroduce vegetation through a large-scale landscaping project involving indigenous trees and shrubs, the site remains barren. This failure is attributed to “the presence of toxic substances within the site”.

As proposed, the ground-mounted PV panels — installed in clusters on the sloping sections of the landfill — will cover approximately 54,000 square metres. The project also requires four electrical substations.

The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) has raised no objections, concluding through a screening process that the project is unlikely to have significant environmental impacts.

However, in 2021, the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage (SCH) expressed concerns about the visual impact of the panels, particularly after the project architect informed it that screening the solar farm with trees would not be possible.

The SCH’s main concern was that the development would result in an “unbroken façade of glass” along the steep sides of the hillock, which would inevitably alter the character of the landscape. The SCH warned that this could hinder future efforts to integrate the site with the surrounding rural environment. Since then, the Magħtab area has been identified for the development of the Ecohive complex, which is set to include a waste-to-energy plant and other waste facilities.

Despite the SCH’s concerns, the Development Management Directorate noted that the existing visual baseline is already dominated by the landfill and concluded that the solar farm’s visual impact is unlikely to be significant. The panels will also be installed at specific angles, using materials designed to reduce reflection and glare. Disused landfills, along with quarries, are listed as preferred locations for new solar farms under the policy regulating such developments.

If approved, the 5MW solar farm could generate around 8,000 MWh of electricity annually — enough to power between 1,600 and 2,000 households.