Last Updated on Friday, 12 April, 2024 at 1:23 pm by Andre Camilleri
The transformation of the Sant’ Antnin waste treatment plant into a recreational green park is closer to reality now that the tender for excavation and preparatory construction works has been issued, WasteServ said in a statement Friday.
WasteServ announced that most of the operations at the Marsaskala plant were shut down in December 2022 and the beleaguered infrastructure has since been dismantled and sent for recycling abroad. This will see an area of over 23,000 square meters returned to the public in WasteServ’s largest-ever greening project.
The tender issued covers various works, including the excavation of a three-storey car park offering electric park-and-ride facilities for Marsaskala. Works encompass excavations to create an artificial lake in this green sanctuary, attracting biodiversity and fostering a serene ambiance for visitors to enjoy.
Three reservoirs to supply the project’s irrigation, stormwater, and firefighting needs will also be created. In line with WasteServ’s commitment to sustainability and the circular economy, 33 per cent of the excavated material will be reused within the same site.
A retaining wall, stretching approximately 175 meters, will also be erected to separate the proposed green park from its surroundings. This feature will help reshape the site and create a natural landscaped terrain with mature trees and shrubs.
Environment Minister Miriam Dalli welcomed this milestone and said this project tied in with the government’s greening mandate.
“Through this project, the government aims to rehabilitate a site previously associated with waste management into a nature park accessible to all for their enjoyment, similar to the rehabilitation of the landfills in Qortin in Gozo and Wied Fulija in Żurrieq”, Minister Dalli said.
Preparations for the project’s second phase are ongoing. Additionally, the tender for various tasks — including soil delivery, planting mature trees, constructing and filling the lake and its wetland filtration system, building the greenhouse with aquaponics facilities, constructing the car park, and establishing the outdoor multipurpose space — is expected to be issued in the coming months. By the time this tender is issued the excavation works should be nearing completion.
The creation of projects such as this new open space in Marsaskala is made possible by the effective implementation of waste management policies.
Without such policies, the inevitable outcome would have been more landfills and further land consumption. WasteServ remains committed to advancing its green circular economy agenda, exemplified by its ongoing implementation of Malta’s largest-ever investment in waste management infrastructure, totalling half a billion euros.
WasteServ CEO Richard Bilocca thanked the public for its incessant efforts, a vital requirement for the implementation of the ECOHIVE strategy and the delivery of these projects.
