Five consortia shortlisted to build and operate ECOHIVE waste-to-energy plant

Five consortia have been shortlisted by WasteServ to proceed to the second stage of the selection process for a waste-to-energy incinerator.

WasteServ announced the shortlisting on Monday, adding that there were no appeals from unsuccessful bidders.

The chosen consortia were among 11 bidders who submitted a preliminary qualification questionnaire (PQQ) at the first stage of the competitive process.

The five consortia obtained the highest scores among the bidders and will move to the Invitation to Participate to Dialogue stage.

Wasteserv CEO Richard Bilocca said the company managed to attract leading names in the industry.

Meanwhile, project preparations are going according to schedule, with site excavation reaching a critical stage.

The tendering process was put back on track last April after a previous competitive procedure was abandoned after three shortlisted companies failed to submit a final bid.

In parliament, then environment minister Aaron Farrugia said COVID-19 and international mergers were the reasons why none of the three companies proceeded to a final bid.

The facility will be converting waste that cannot be recycled into energy and will form part of the ECOHIVE complex at Magħtab. The incinerator is necessary to enable Malta to divert waste away from landfill disposal and contribute towards national compliance with EU targets with respect to recycling and landfill reduction.