The Lm10 million modernisation of the Sant’Antnin waste recycling plant is gathering momentum and installation of the plant’s first phase will start next month, to be completed by the end of December, the Department of Information said yesterday.

Rural Affairs and Environment Minister George Pullicino, Wasteserv chairman Nick Degiorgio, executive head Vince Magri, and board members, visited the plant where the minister said that the recyclable material recovery section will be the first to be completed. Part of the existing shed is being moved 77 metres further away from the road and from Marsascala and in its new location it will have less of a visual impact as part of the space the move will be creating will be landscaped.

The section will be completed by the end of the year so that it will be tested and commissioned in January.

Other work is in hand, including laying the foundation for the digestion tanks, the biogas container and the air treatment facility. Together these will operate an electricity plant which will meet the demands of 1,400 households.

When the entire plant is completed it will be treating 36,000 tons of recyclable material collected from the bring-in sites, and 35,000 tons of municipal waste. That is far from the total amount of waste generated in Malta and Gozo, it is just 71,000 tons out of a total amount of 240,000 tons.

The modernisation of the plant will be costing some Lm9.7 million, 70 per cent of which will be co-financed under the cohesion fund for 2004-2006.

Mr Pullicino said there had never been such expenditures on the environment in Malta before – this year alone the sum is Lm47 million, compared with the about Lm3 million cost of 1990.