The waste incineration plant in Marsa, also known as the thermal treatment facility, was inaugurated yesterday by George Pullicino, Minister for Rural Affairs and the Environment, in the presence of Guido Tampieri, the Italian Undersecretary at the Ministry of Agriculture.

The project was co-financed by the Fifth Financial Italian-Maltese Protocol and will be managed by WasteServ Malta Ltd.

Mr Pullicino said the decision to enhance the plant to treat other waste instead of just that coming from the abattoir showed the government's aptitude.

"With the decision to upgrade the plant, the government saved on new investments such as the purchase of a new facility for Mater Dei Hospital while reducing the expense incurred by the operation of the plant from about Lm2 million to Lm500,000 every year," he said.

Vince Magri, WasteServ CEO Ltd, said the incinerator will treat abattoir waste, clinical waste, refused derived fuel (RDF - which is waste that generates a large quantity of energy like wood) and other waste like spent solvents and industrial sludges.

"In a small country like Malta, it is not feasible from an economic or environmental point of view to have different entities with separate incinerators. To have one plant for all local needs is the most sensible solution," he said.