Mayor pleads for ‘social projects’ as dismantling of Marsa power plant gets underway

The closing down of the Marsa power plant and the dismantling of the plants should provide the locality with a new lease of life, developing social projects that benefit the locality’s community, Marsa mayor Francis Debono said.

Speaking to MaltaToday, Debono said residents had suffered for years on end because their locality served as one of the main driving forces of the country’s economy.

“It is now time for the residents to live in a better community. For many years Marsa was home to one of the main driving forces of the country’s economy, at the detriment of the local environment,” Debono said, explaining that the power station had affected both the health of residents and the housing market of the area.

The permit for the decommissioning, dismantling and demolition of the power plant was unanimously approved by the MEPA board last week.

The works will include the clearing of all equipment, turbine halls, steel and civil structures, fuel shore tanks, acid tanks, bund walls and other structures with the exception of the administration building including offices, distribution workshop and stores together with the security guard room and sea water intake jetty. 



The closing down of the 62-year-old plant will create an area of approximately 66,000 sqm for possible alternative use. An electoral pledge, the Labour government envisages a conversion of the site into a recreation and commercial zone.

A project development statement submitted to MEPA shows that the site has already been identified for future commercial development. Enemalta plc, the partly-privatised corporation that now has Shanghai Electric Power among its shareholders, was granted the temporary emphyteusis on the Marsa land in August last year.

The mayor insisted that projects chosen should aim at boosting the social life of the residents.

“One example could be the creation of more housing for residents in the Albert Town region,” Debono said. “Another possible project would be the creation of a recreation centre where various organisations could come together.”

Debono said that the latter was seen as important by residents: the Marsa Sports Club was considered to be rather far away from the centre and therefore not as easily accessible as desired.

“I am naturally not excluding the development of a more commercial area, as this could promote the regeneration of the area. But after such a long time suffering the effects of the power station, this needs to be integrated with the more social aspect,” Debono said.

He added that he was sure that the government would consult with the local council and the residents of the area about the land’s future.

Debono also suggested that some of the locality’s old buildings could be restored and used as tourist attraction sites.

“Some of the buildings overlooking the Grand Harbour could be restored and turned into hotels as the area offers great potential in this sense,” he said referring to the impressive views.

“I am also pushing for the creation of a Grand Harbour Museum to explain the rich history of the area and also present tourists visiting the island by cruise-liner an attraction nearby,” Debono said.

He added that he hoped projects would incentivize more visits to the area and at the same time address the needs of residents to give the locality the necessary push.