Given the right treatment waste can change from a liability into an asset – Karmenu Vella

European Maritime Affairs Commissioner Karmenu Vella visited the Maghtab Environmental Complex earlier today, where he explained that European member states were facing the challenge of turning waste into raw materials once again, and that the Ghallis project was an important step in this direction locally.

“The EU has a shortage of resources and raw materials, and it has to import over 60% of these materials, however the waste that we generate can be converted into secondary raw material,” Vella said explaining that the ultimate idea was to make landfills virtually obsolete.

The Ghallis project, known as the Mechanical and Biological plant at Malta North, would process around 67,000 tonnes of municipal waste, 47,000 tonnes of bulky waste and some 39,000 tonnes of manure.

According to project Manager Vince Saydon, the plant would also be generating biogas as a by-product, which would amount to over 6 GW of electricity per annum, enough to power a number of households. The process would also see the production of heat energy and compost as additional by-product.

Environment minister Leo Brincat, also present for the tour of the facility said that WasteServ’s €59 million Ghallis project was currently the largest project in Malta benefitting from European funds, with some €26 million coming from the Eu. He explained that although it was initially thought that the plant would not be completed on time, the government had pushed for the continuation of the almost stagnant project.

“The plant will be an important and crucial step in the implementation of a solid waste management strategy for Malta. The plant will help in the treatment of biodegradable and municipal waste and it will also help in addressing issues of waste from farms,” Brincat said.

Brincat also pointed out that WasteServ was also in talks to secure further EU funds for its projects, aside from its four projects already being financed by the EU. He also stressed the importance of not simply securing funds from the EU, but of using them in efficient ways.

Vella said that the EU understood that the issue of waste couldn’t be tackled with a one-size-fits-all approach and that Malta faces a very different situation since it is such a small country.

“This project is a step in the right direction for Malta,” Vella said.

“The EU is seeing the importance of identifying the countries that are not at the fore of waste management, and it is understanding the issues preventing these countries from advancing in this respect. Malta is being shown enormous support in the issue,” Vella said referring to the possibility of applying for further funding and of an upcoming conference addressing the issue.

Project manager Saydon also explained that the company was looking to increase operation hours of the plant to ensure even more waste is processed. He added that the plants would have an bio-filters infiltration system to ensure that the air let out in the environment would not be harmful.