Gasco Energy’s new LPG facility in Bengħajsa, inaugurated recently by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, has doubled the company’s storage capacity.

The combined €23 million investment is a joint venture between Liquigas Italia Spa and Multigas Ltd.

The modern facility, built in four years, has become one of the key energy assets for Malta.

It now stands at 4,800 metric tonnes, up from the previous 2,300 metric tonnes, and includes six new LPG storage tanks – each 42 metres long with a diameter of 7.5 metres, covered in sand to increase the safety of the installation.

The project comprises a pipeline from the sea importation terminal to the storage tanks, an automatic cylinder filling plant, a road tanker filling point to deliver bulk LPG to clients and an administration building. The facility is also equipped with the latest technology for fire detection and fire fighting.

Dr Gonzi welcomed this investment as an important addition to the country’s energy infrastructure. He said through this new plant, Malta could not only increase its storage capacity of LPG but was able to tap into a cleaner source of energy.

“Apart from guaranteeing a reliable, safe and adequate LPG supply for consumers, operators and distributors for future decades, this facility represents an enhancement of Malta’s autonomy and independence in terms of energy resources,” said Gasco Energy’s chief executive officer Roberto Capelluto.

As the first private company to provide services in the LPG gas sector in Malta, Gasco Energy will bring benefits both for domestic consumers and for enterprises.

The company seeks to promote a better understanding of this clean and efficient energy, not only for its traditional applications, such as cooking, heating and hot water provision, but also for new areas such as autogas, air-conditioning and co-generation (the production of electricity using LPG as a fuel).

Liquigas Italia president Paolo Dal Lago said Gasco Energy was a significant LPG terminal in the Mediterranean.

He added that the implementation of this project is an excellent example of technical collaboration between joint venture partners, using – when necessary – the expertise within SHV Group, a European leader in the LPG industry.

Gasco Energy chairman Louis Farrugia said the new facility marks a turning point in the provision of energy in Malta, and was of historical significance.

While bringing the project to fruition on budget and ahead of schedule, the company used an abandoned quarry to house the plant, which respects all stringent Seveso II safety directives mandated by the EU.

The facility has no impact on the skyline as it is barely visible from sea or land, and can be considered as a case study of a modern plant that fully respects the environment from all points of view.

The chairman thanked Liqui­gas Italia for being strong and committed partners. The project team, led by chief operations manager Paul Agius Delicata, was tasked with tight timeframes and complex safety features.

The Prime Minister unveiled the inaugural plaque, a work of art by Maltese artist Luciano Micallef. The new facility was blessed by Birżebbuġa parish priest Fr Nicholas Pace.

Now that the operations of the old Qajjenza plant have been transferred to the new Ben­għajsa facility, eliminating risks the previous plant had due to its age and location, Gasco Energy will embark on the dismantling of the Qajjenza plant, which is the final part of the project.

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