Wasteserv today welcomed the statement from a number of NGOs noting that a waste-to-energy plant is a decisive improvement over the predominant past reliance on landfilling. Furthermore it is important to underline a number of other aspects.

Detailed studies are currently underway, and amongst various other fields, these cover air quality with laborious air dispersion assessments and models, and the required marine ecology studies.

Moreover, this plant cannot be seen in isolation. The size of the plant has been determined after extensive studies that take into account past waste trends and more importantly EU waste related targets. The plant's design is also being thought with operational flexibility in mind and its capacity is split on two lines that can be operated separately.

Wasteserv said it also greatly valued the farming community and this strengthens its resolve to deliver the ECOHIVE project so that the country moves away from predominant reliance on landfilling and thereby safeguarding further agricultural land. In line with agricultural sustainability, Wasteserv notes that not only the land uptake exercise which has led to just one third of the original portion, but that one of the plants, the organic processing plant, will produce high quality agricultural grade compost.

This work is part of government's overall environmental agenda that also involves a revamped waste management policy that will be launched in the coming months, Wasteserv said.