Environment Minister Leo Brincat.

Cooperation on a waste-to-energy plant agreed in the memorandum of understanding signed between Malta and China still depends on further studies and analysis, according to the Environment Minister.

A waste-to-energy plant falls under one of the five key areas of cooperation agreed with China during a recent visit to the country by a Maltese delegation led by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.

The five-year cooperation agreement explores the potential for further investment in energy, infrastructure, civil aviation, financial services, and research and innovation.

But Environment Minister Leo Brincat was cautious when questioned on the specific reference made to a cooperation on a waste-to-energy plant.

Last month, the ministry announced it was about to invest close to €1 million on studies to determine the best waste management option for the country – waste to energy or the export of waste.

No decision on a waste-to-energy plant can therefore be made before these studies are concluded.

Despite the announcement from China, the studies will remain the focus, at least for the time being. “Ongoing studies on the export potential of waste are being intensified while a call for tenders is expected to be issued shortly... Any decision on the way forward regarding these two options will be taken once such studies are completed and analysed in depth,” said Mr Brincat.

When launching the investment in the studies on the potential export of waste over a waste-to-energy plant, the Environment Minister had said that when he inherited the waste management problem, plans had already been defined for the construction of an incinerator next to the Delimara power station, but there were no studies to justify this was the best option for the country.

Mr Brincat had said the government did not want to move into such an investment “blindly”, without being fully aware of the potential alternatives and the economic, environmental and health repercussions associated with such a decision.

“The memorandum of understanding signed between Malta and China will serve as the basis of a blueprint for multifaceted cooperation, among others, in the energy sector. At this stage collaboration on a waste-to-energy plant is a potential area for discussion. Just as the world is looking at China as a source of foreign investment, Malta seeks to lead further collaboration in various areas with this giant economy,” Mr Brincat said.