12
maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 11 NOVEMBER 2026
NEWS
JAMES
DEBONO
jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt
WITH
SAVIOUR
BALZAN
THURSDAY AT 10.15PM ON TVM
WasteServ seeks renewal of
Maghtab incinerator permit
WASTESERV has applied to re-
new the outline planning permis-
sion for a waste-to-energy plant
at the Magħtab landfill, as the
original permit approaches expi-
ry on 26 January 2027.
Application PA/07858/26 was
submitted on 20 August by Was-
teServ, represented by Richard
Bilocca, with architect Robert
Sant. The original outline per-
mission was granted on 13 Janu-
ary 2022.
The renewal application is
scheduled for publication on 18
November, with representations
open until 18 December 2026.
The renewal comes amid un-
certainty over the €600 million
project, a key component of the
government's ECOHIVE strate-
gy.
As reported by MaltaToday last
month, the government has yet
to set a date for a new tender af-
ter the original procurement pro-
cess collapsed in December 2025
following a dispute involving pre-
ferred bidder French company
Paprec and rival Hitachi Zosen
Inova. Meanwhile, WasteServ
has issued a tender for excavation
works aimed at increasing the ca-
pacity of an existing engineered
landfill at Magħtab by more than
2.9 million cubic metres. The
project involves deepening an ex-
isting landfill from 10 to 54 me-
tres.
In reply to MaltaToday, the En-
vironment Ministry also pointed
to increased waste separation,
recycling and reuse as measures
to reduce pressure on landfills.
These include the collection of
242 million beverage containers
through the refund scheme in
2025 and a new organic waste
processing plant intended to
double Malta's treatment capac-
ity.
The ministry has maintained
that existing landfill capacity is
sufficient for the years ahead, un-
til the ECOHIVE strategy is fully
implemented.
The outline
permission for
the proposed
waste-to-energy
plant expires in
January, amid
uncertainty over
a new tender and
further investment
in landfill
capacity
An artist's impression of how the Maghtab incinerator will look
