Permits issued to dismantle 31 March fuel plant in Birżebbuġa

The government has issued a permit to dismantle the fuel tanks at the 31 March plant in Birżebbuġa, Energy Minister Miriam dalli has announced.

“The permit to dismantle the tanks at the plant has been issued,” Dalli stated in a Facebook post.

The Environment Ministry had confirmed that the 31 March plant was officially removed from the list of sites subject to the ‘Control of Major Accident Hazards’ (COMAH) regulations in 2024. This followed months of work by state-owned company Enemed, which is now operating from its new facility in Ħas-Saptan, where all fuel is stored in underground tanks.

The minister also confirmed that preliminary works at the San Luċjan facility have already commenced. “However, there is another part of this process. When the tanks are cleaned, they can be dismantled and then the process continues,” she added. The dismantling forms part of broader regeneration plans for the area. 

Known in the locality as il-Pont tax-Shell, the jetty at the 31 March site previously allowed ships to offload fuel to the facility. Plans to regenerate the jetty into a pedestrian area with access to the sea were unveiled on the eve of the 2022 general election by Dalli.

The project aims to restore the 180-metre-long jetty with the construction of a new structure of approximately 1,500 square metres. Access to the sea will be restored with a deck and stairs to enhance accessibility and safety for swimmers while protecting the marine environment

“There will always be obstacles but we are trying to move forward so that we can develop the project further.,” she added. Dalli concluded by stating that the goal is for Birżebbuġa to have beautiful projects instead of fuel tanks.