Birżebbuġa fuel depot to shut down completely by the start of 2022

The Birżebbuġa fuel depot in the middle of a residential area will close down indefinitely by the start of 2022, Energy Minister Miriam Dalli announces

The sprawling Birzebbuga fuel depot in the middle of a residential will close down indefinitely by the start of next year
The sprawling Birzebbuga fuel depot in the middle of a residential will close down indefinitely by the start of next year

A century-old fuel depot in the midst of a residential area in Birżebbuġa will shut down indefinitely at the start of 2022, Miriam Dalli said.

The Energy Minister was speaking as the last fuel bowser to be loaded for distribution to petrol stations exited the 31 March 1979 fuel depot today.

The massive oil tanks will be kept on cold standby until December to hold an emergency fuel reserve, pending the completion of works at the expanded depot at Ħas-Saptan.

During a ceremony in Birżebbuġa on Thursday morning, Dalli said the fuel tanks will be emptied at the start of next year. Shortly after, the tanks will be removed and the site cleaning process will start to remove any contamination.

“This is a historic day for residents of Birżebbuġa who have had to live with these tanks in their midst… the closure will mean a better quality of life for residents and a more tranquil locality,” she said.

Dalli did not divulge any plans for the future of the site but pledged consultation with the community on how best to utilise it.

She said that as of today, the Birżebbuġa community will have 44 fewer fuel trucks passing through the locality since these will be loaded at the Ħas-Saptan facility instead.

The closure was made possible after a €70 million investment to expand the underground fuel storage facility at Ħas-Saptan on the outskirts of the airport.

The Birżebbuġa facility is spread over 38,000sq.m and was used to store petrol and diesel for the domestic market. The oldest tank dating back to 1919 was dismantled in 2017 when the government announced plans to close the facility.

Over a span of decades, buildings sprouted up around the site, which was a major inconvenience for residents.

The site is owned by fuel importer Enemed, a State company.

Enemed chairperson Kevin Chircop said a part of Malta’s energy history was being consigned to history with the closure of the site.

The last fuel tanker to fill the tanks with an emergency fuel supply will visit Birżebbuġa next week.