WasteServ said Tuesday it  has issued an excavation tender to increase the capacity of an old, engineered landfill by more than 2.9 million cubic metres - equivalent to 1,100 Olympic-sized swimming pools - without taking up any additional agricultural land.

The project, which will be implemented in two phases, will involve excavating an old, engineered landfill constructed in 2004 to a depth of 54 metres from the existing 10 metres, substantially increasing its capacity, while maximising infrastructure, WasteServ said.

WasteServ CEO Richard Bilocca said: "This project is about making the best possible use of the resources and infrastructure we already have with the least possible impact".

"The project complements WasteServ's wider investment in alternative waste treatment infrastructure, while ensuring that existing landfill capacity is used more efficiently as the country works towards reducing its reliance on landfilling," Mr Bilocca said.

In keeping with this approach, waste material being removed ahead of the excavation is being repurposed in another ongoing landfill void space maximisation infrastructure project.

Using a unique patented technique, the material is being used to construct the foundation of a retaining wall structure around an existing landfill. This innovative solution will increase its slope angle to approximately 70 degrees from the conventional 30 degrees, significantly increasing the landfill's capacity without the need for additional land, the company said.

Once the waste is removed and excavation of the underlying bedrock begins, the chosen contractor will be required to process and fabricate the extracted stone into construction-related products rather than discard it.

Apart from ensuring that valuable natural resources are put to good use, this approach is expected to deliver significant financial savings, as the value of the fabricated materials will help offset a substantial portion of the project's costs.