Table 5.1: Potential Levels of Municipal Waste requiring Disposal assuming some Recycling/Composting

Municipal Waste Requiring Treatment / Disposal (t) Options

1999 2004 2009

Option 1 - No Additional Recycling 154,361 164,993 175,771

(0) (0) (0)

Option 2 - Increase of 1% recycling per annum (Assumes 11%

recycling achieved by 2009) 152,818 155,093 156,436

(1,543) (9,900) (19,335) Option 3 - Increase of 1.5% per annum from 1999-2004 and 3%

per annum from 2004 to 2009. (Assumes 24% recycling

achieved by 2009) 150,526 141,135 118,891

(3,835) (23,858) (56,880)

Notes:

Tonnes of waste recycled in year shown provided in brackets

5.26 The level of recycling will determine the levels of residual municipal waste requiring treatment and final disposal. On the basis of the options presented in Table 5.1 the annual level of waste disposal capacity required to deal with the expected residual municipal wastes is between some 120,000 tonnes and 176,000 tonnes by the end of this Plan period. The available treatment techniques include:

• Pyrolysis/gasification;

• anaerobic digestion;

• thermal treatment options including incineration with energy recovery; and

• engineered landfill for final disposal.

5.27 Pyrolysis is a thermal pre-treatment method that can be applied to municipal waste in order to transform organic waste to a gas, liquid and a char fraction. This can be followed by combustion of the gas generated (gasification). However, there exist

uncertainties over the economics and practicable application to municipal waste with the technology currently restricted to a few prototype plants under development and in operation in Europe. The use of more established and proven technologies are however likely to prove more reliable in an Island context.

Need for New Waste Management

Facilities

5

5.28 Anaerobic digestion is similar to pyrolysis in that it involves the decomposition of organic wastes which produce gas which can then be utilised for energy production. Its use within Europe is however limited for MSW applications only on account of the large capital investment required in relation to the associated overall reduction in the volume of waste requiring final disposal.

5.29 Energy from waste incineration is the combustion of waste to produce energy for electricity generation and / or heat. Several combustion technologies are available, although mass burn is most commonly adopted throughout Europe. It is a proven technology capable of dealing with large volumes of municipal waste.

5.30 Prior to the development of any incineration or other type of thermal treatment plant detailed consideration would have to be given to issues such as economies of scale, siting requirements, current and future waste characteristics, the calorific value of the waste and levels of secure tonnages. This is because all these elements influence the combustion potential of the plant and considerable attention has to be given by

incinerator designers to the conditions necessary for optimum combustion.

5.31 Decisions regarding the actual mix of waste management options required to deal with the municipal wastes generated on the Maltese Island will be the responsibility of the Environment Protection Department. However, with the expected volume of municipal wastes requiring disposal it is important that proven technologies capable of dealing with such wastes are given full consideration by this Plan.

5.32 Consideration of these facilities by this Plan will enable the siting of such plants to be considered. Proper siting is fundamental if the environmental impacts of such

developments, including traffic, are to be minimised.

5.33 On account of the likely residual levels of municipal waste requiring disposal and the aims of the EU in promoting recovery and recycling of waste it is envisaged that no more than one energy from waste plant would be required on the Maltese Islands. Incineration of non-hazardous wastes without energy recovery would be placed at the bottom of the waste hierarchy and would not be considered acceptable on the Islands.

5.34 On account of the time required for initiatives such as recycling to come to fruition, the timescales involved in developing alternative facilities, and the current total reliance on landfill to deal with these wastes, a continued reliance on landfill for the disposal of these wastes is anticipated until at least the second half of this Plan period. Landfill capacity for the disposal of residues from any future waste treatment facilities will also be required regardless of which long-term waste management option is adopted.

5.35 It is not possible to estimate the current capacity at the existing official landfill sites on Malta and Gozo since both are landraise facilities and neither have proposed final contours or an end date for tipping at these locations. It is however noticeable that both facilities have limited remaining capacity and are not operated to current best practice.

Need for New Waste Management

Facilities

5

Furthermore, neither site is engineered and the environmental impacts associated with these sites are significant.

5.36 It is important that at least one engineered landfill site is identified and constructed on Malta by the mid-point in this Plan period. The development of such a site will provide a more environmentally sustainable option for the final disposal of these wastes than currently exists. The site will need to accept all municipal wastes that are not either recycled or treated by the other waste management options discussed above. The costs of developing an engineered landfill and the limitations of finding suitable new landfill capacity suggest that the number of additional landfills will be limited.

5.37 A study by the Planning Authority and the Environment Protection Department in 1997 to identify sites for an engineered landfill produced a list of some 16 sites. From this list a shortlist of seven potentially suitable sites was identified through a sieving process that took into account a number of factors. The seven short listed sites were:

• Wied Ghammieq, Limits of Xghajra;

• Zonqor, Limits of Marsascala;

• Wied Moqbol Quarry, Limits of Benghajsa;

• Ta’ Majru, San Tumas;

• Ix-Xoqqiet, Benghajsa;

• Ghallis ta’ Gewwa (Maghtab extension); and

• Benghajsa (L-Inwadar, Ta’ Miguma, Tal-Harrub).

5.38 Through a further assessment process using environmental, social, technical and economic considerations three preferred sites were identified. Of these three preferred sites two (Wied Moqbol and Ix-Xoqqiet, Benghajsa) have been discounted for practical reasons leaving the site at Ghallis ta’ Gewwa (Maghtab extension) as the site

considered most suitable for development of an engineered landfill on Malta.

5.39 The capacity of the engineered landfill should take account of the maximum potential non-inert waste requirement. However, the rate of voidspace take up over this Plan period will be affected by a number of factors. For example, as illustrated in Table 5.1, if recycling and composting levels increase the capacity required of such a facility will reduce. A reduced requirement for engineered landfill capacity will also result if one or more of the other waste treatment options discussed are developed. Regard should also be given to the likely long-term nature of this facility for the disposal of residual wastes in the event that other waste management options are brought on line.

5.40 A need for replacement non-inert landfill capacity on Gozo may also be required in order to provide for the satisfactory future disposal of this island’s non-inert wastes. The need

Need for New Waste Management

Facilities

5

for such a facility would however be avoided if a transfer station was developed on Gozo to store and transfer municipal and other non-inert wastes from Gozo to Malta for final disposal. The implementation of such a scheme would be considered favourable on account of the level of such arisings and the costs associated with the development of waste treatment options and / or an engineered landfill.