Much was said about the notorious incinerator at Marsa. Throughout the years, many promises were made and broken. It is now time to truly investigate what is being done in concrete terms about this facility.

Inaugurated in 2007, this incinerator uses heat to treat abattoir waste, clinical waste, and other hazardous waste streams that cannot be sent to a landfill. Given that this plant processes waste that would otherwise pose a serious threat to human health and the environment if not disposed of correctly, the necessity for it cannot be disputed.

It is for this reason that Government has allocated €50 million in a new state-of-the-art Thermal Treatment Facility that will incorporate the best available technology guaranteeing the ideal environmental performance and the potential of green energy generation. However, until this project comes to fruition, additional resources to the sound of over €4 million to upgrade the current facility in Marsa are being invested until it is time to replace and relocate this incinerator.

Government has allocated €50 million in a new state-of-the-art Thermal Treatment Facility

Foul smells originating from this facility have long been a major complaint of residents and nearby businesses. Thus, as first order of business, several air treatment plants will be installed around the facility with the sole purpose of capturing and treating odours. A 5-chamber Regenerative Thermal Oxidiser and two positive pressure ionisation systems will also be installed. This technology captures smells emanating from the facility and uses high heat to transform it into odourless air.

The autoclave, which forms part of this facility and has the function of pre-treating animal waste before it ends up being incinerated, is also being upgraded in order to reduce downtime as a result of equipment failure. Reducing downtime would avoid backlogs of waste that is still to be processed effectively removing any smells.

Another solution to eliminate bad odours is to seal off the facility. To this end, a shed is currently being installed to cover and seal off the waste reception and storage area. Similarly, the area where this autoclave stands will also be sealed off and all apertures and doors will be upgraded.

Besides investing €4 million to improve current operations, WasteServ has also boosted its enforcement to improve the quality of incoming waste and stop the delivery of dead animals and animal by-products that are in an advanced state of decay. This has been complemented with the procurement of a number of refrigerated containers to store materials in line with the required standards.

These upgrades are proof of WasteServ’s commitment towards the residents of Marsa and other localities in the vicinity. WasteServ is still investing considerable energy in removing the inconvenience associated with the Marsa incinerator and deliver on the new Thermal Treatment Facility in the shortest possible timeframes.