Waste Management Projects

Magħtab and Qortin landfill projects

Vassallo Builders, in collaboration with an established waste management company in Germany, were responsible for the design and building of a new gas extraction and treatment system to deal with the emission of hazardous gasses produced by the disused and non-engineered landfills.

The system was built to withstand high gas temperatures that resulted from the subterranean fires fuelled by decomposing waste. Almost 500 gas wells were installed, along a 70km-connecting pipeline that collected and conveyed the poisonous gas to a central thermal oxidiser for treatment.

Sant Antnin MBT Plant

In a separate project, both companies were also responsible for the design and building of an Anaerobic Digestion Plant within the Sant Antnin MBT facilities. Once the municipal solid waste had been separated, the AD plant is capable of processing 40,000 tonnes of biological components each year.

The waste is broken down during a digestion process, which produces biogas, compost and water as its by-products. The biogas is used to power two Combined Heat and Power Engines (CHP) with an electrical generating capacity of 1.7MW. Alternatively, the compost produced achieves the German Standard of Roggergrad 5 making it suitable for agricultural use, whereas the resulting water is treated via Reverse Osmosis and is reused in the process, with some of the surplus water being made available for irrigation.

As an added benefit, the surplus heat generated by the CHPs is being used to heat the neighbouring Inspire Foundation’s swimming pool.

Design & Build of the Malta North Waste Treatment Plant

BEV Consortium which is formed by Vassallo Builders, Efacec and BTA international, was entrusted with the Design and Build of the New Malta North Waste Treatment Plant. This contract has been jointly executed with Portuguese partners EFACEC Engenharia e Sistemas S.A. and German partners BTA International GmbH. This venture adds to the Group’s vast portfolio of prestigious construction projects delivered across Malta and Gozo throughout its 70 year history. The Malta North Waste Treatment project succeeds Vassallo Builders’ most recent accomplishments in the field of environmental management projects – this being the design and build of the Sant Antnin Waste Treatment Plant in Marsascala completed back in 2011.

Whereas landfilling represents the least favourable option for waste management, the Mechanical and Biological Treatment plant employs mechanical and biological processes to recover material for recycling or RDF production, produce compost-like material and  generate clean energy from otherwise useless waste. The process is fruit of thorough research and the complex development made possible through the joint cooperation of Vassallo Builders Limited, EFACEC and BTA.

Using cutting-edge technology and state-of-the-art infrastructure, the facility situated within the Maghtab Environmental Complex in Malta, is split into two main departments: The Mechanical Treatment Plant and The Anaerobic Digestion Plant and treats domestic waste known as Municipal Solid Waste, solid and liquid Manure and Bulky Waste.

The Anaerobic Digestion Plant is the core process for biogas production. This biogas will be burned in two CHP units of 600 MW and 1,200 MW in order to produce electricity, which will be injected into the national electrical grid.

The expertise and techniques employed in this plant do not only offer numerous benefits to Maltese society but are set to deliver any community who adopt its methods, the next generation of environmental excellence.