7 Facts You Need To Know About Malta’s New Plant To Manage Waste
With an investment of over €120,000,000 being put towards a new waste management facility in Malta, there’s a lot of information which can sometimes sound overly-technical about the way Malta’s annual 114,000 tonnes of waste will be dealt with. Well, if you’re a little confused, here’s a new perspective to help break down the figures and make things a little clearer.
1. 40% of Malta’s waste will be turned into energy
Plans for the new plant will see almost half of the waste generated by the islands turned into usable energy by an incinerator. The technology used, often referred to as ‘Moving Grate Technology’ is used by over 80% of the rest of Europe’s waste treatment facilities.
2. The new plant will cover up to 5,000 square meters
To treat waste on this scale a large area would be required to ensure all the proper environmental and safety precautions are taken. This means the area required by such a plant can be anywhere between 3,700 and 5,000 square meters.
3. A quarter of the budget will be spent ensuring emissions are properly treated
The instrinsic concern over incinerating waste is related to any emissions produced. Emissions will be countered by a specially designed flue gas treatment, and the technology required for this job will cost as much as 1/4th of the total budget.
4. It’s expected to generate up to 69,000 GWh every year
To put that in perspective: a gigawatt is a billion watts. An average desktop computer or large TV uses about 250 watts, a dishwasher or washing machine can use up to 2,000 or 3,000 watts. It is calculated that the amount of energy generated will be enough to power 16,000 households*.
5. It’ll be kicking landfills out once and for all
The aim of the project is to do away with the level of waste to landfills, thereby sweeping it under the proverbial carpet. Magħtab may be rehabilitated, but the Għallis and Żwejra landfills are still being used as short-term fixes to a long-term problem. With the new plant, these will one day be no more!
6. Studies are being carried out to determine the location of the plant
The current proposed site is the Magħtab Complex as it already has a lot of the facilities required for waste management. From internal roads to security control, the area is already well on its way to becoming a viable, but restructured, waste treatment complex.
7. Incinerator aside, reducing and recycling waste remains extremely important
While it’s great to be stepping forward into turning the waste produced into useable energy, we cannot let our efforts in recycling or reusing our waste slow down. Getting this planet back into tip-top shape is everyone’s responsibility and we all need to work together to make sure it happens ASAP.