Wasteserv has inaugurated Malta’s first autoclave in Marsa with an investment of €12 million, 85 per cent finan-ced through the European Regional Development Fund.

The autoclave will treat animal by-products from the civil abattoir and private slaughterhouses currently totalling 6,000 tonnes a year. Of these, approximately 307 tonnes will originate from Gozo. The plant will also enable the treatment of animal waste.

Wasteserv chairman David Borg said: “Following last month’s inauguration of the Waste Transfer and Materials Recovery Facility in Gozo, this is another important milestone for the company in its drive to improve and modernise the infrastructure for waste management in our country. The opening of the autoclave will help to reduce dependency on the Marsa Incinerator as well as cut down on odour and pollution, lower energy and fuel consumption, decrease current incineration expenditure and overall have a positive effect on climate change.”

This plant will result in substantial savings

Wasteserv CEO Tonio Montebello explained: “This plant will result in substantial savings in fuel which is currently used to operate the incinerator. This is due to the extraction of tallow (animal fat) through the autoclaving process which is then used in the incinerator as fuel, thus creating resources from waste. The plant will also enable the treatment of expired foodstuffs which will be processed before it is sent to the Sant’Antnin recycling plant for further treatment in the Mechanical Biological Treatment plant to obtain more resources which include energy generation.”

With this plant, Malta will therefore have two independent facilities that can treat animal by-products: the incinerator and the autoclave. Waste will be treated without odour release into the environment and waste water will be reused instead of being disposed in the sewers without any pre-treatment. Energy released from the plant will also be used to produce hot water for washing purposes.

This project will also contribute towards reaching Malta’s target to reach five per cent reduction on greenhouse gas emissions and 10 per cent of total energy consumption and generation of renewable energy resources.

Also present for the launch were Environment Minister Leo Brincat and Parliamentary Secretary for EU Funds Ian Borg.

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