Construction has officially begun on Malta’s new Organic Processing Plant, a €75 million investment intended to strengthen the country’s waste-management infrastructure.

Approximately €45 million is being co-financed through the European Union Cohesion Fund. It forms part of Malta’s ongoing national transition towards a circular economy, in which more materials are recovered and organic waste is treated as a resource for the production of energy and compost.

Site mobilisation, excavation and the construction of a perimeter retaining wall are under way. These activities are being carried out while the facility’s engineering, process design and operational requirements are being finalised.

Minister for Energy, the Environment and the Regeneration of the Grand Harbour Miriam Dalli, Minister for European Funds Keith Azzopardi Tanti and WasteServ CEO Richard Bilocca visited the site to review progress. The visit highlighted the facility’s role in recovering resources, generating renewable energy and strengthening the circular economy.

Once operational, the plant will increase Malta’s annual organic waste treatment capacity from approximately 36,000 tonnes to more than 74,000 tonnes. The additional capacity will allow more separately collected organic waste to be treated locally and converted into renewable energy and high-quality compost.

Annual electricity generation is expected to rise from 8.5 GWh to as much as 20 GWh. The facility will incorporate advanced technology and higher levels of automation to improve efficiency, operational performance and environmental safeguards.

Specialised machinery is being used during excavation to reduce noise and vibration. Excavated material is also being reused on site to backfill low-lying areas to the levels required by the design, reducing the need to transport material elsewhere.

The Organic Processing Plant is expected to be completed within two years. It will become a key component of WasteServ’s ECOHIVE strategy and support a more modern and sustainable approach to waste and resource management in Malta.