The former Enemalta gas storage and filling plant in Qajjenza, which had operated since 1959, has been decommissioned.

This took place following a supervised decontamination process. Once the go-ahead is given by the planning authority, the next step will be to dismantle and dispose of the plant’s infrastructure and equipment. In 2008, Enemalta and Gasco Energy – a joint venture between Multigas Limited and Liquigas of Italy – signed a concession agreement whereby Enemalta transferred the management and operation of its liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) activities to Gasco Energy.

Meanwhile, as per the agreement, Gasco built in two years a fully-certified €20 million LPG bottling and storage facility at Bengħajsa, which was inaugurated last November. Once the new LPG plant had been commissioned, decommissioning started on the Qajjenza plant, which had stopped operating in July 2012.

An air quality analysis carried out on all the Qajjenza storage tanks revealed there is no trace of combustibles and the site was certified gas-free. It will continue to be monitored by the competent authority until all the empty tanks and ancillary equipment are removed.

Birżebbuġa mayor Joe Farrugia welcomed the decommissioning. “Gasco Energy not only removed a constant danger from Qajjenza, due to the age of the plant and its location, but went on to invest heavily and built a very modern installation, located at Bengħajsa far away from residential buildings”.

Gasco Energy’s chief executive officer, Paul Agius Delicata, pointed out that through the Bengħajsa plant Gasco had more than doubled its LPG storage facilities, becoming one of the key energy assets for Malta.