Mepa is holding a public consultation on the building of a baling plant and end-of-life vehicle facility (ELV) just off the road connecting Ħal Far to the Freeport at Birżebbuġa.

The site was designated by Malta Investment Parks (MIP).

Gasparell Baling Co Ltd is proposing a project that will include an office block and two large units which will be used for ELV facilities and brass/ Aluminium and Copper workshops, a shredder a baling unit and a stockpile area.

Th floor area of all parts of the development will be covered with an impermeable concrete layer to prevent any contamination of the underground rock strata.

Used vehicles will be subjected to a 'depollution' process under cover and all
hazardous materials will be recovered using standard EU certified equipment. Non-hazardous ferrous materials will be processed by means of the shredder unit and the baler unit. Brass, aluminium and copper components will be recovered and collected in other parts of the complex. All the recovered material will be separated at source, stored and directed to appropriate facilities locally or abroad according to need.
 
The company said depollution of passenger cars would take around 20-45minutes whereas that for vehicles over 3.5tonnes would take up to an hour-and-a-half.      

Once the depollution process is complete, the various components of the vehicles will be removed and separated. Glass panels, rubber fittings and trimmings, plastics and electrical and electronic parts will be dismantled manually and stored in separate containers for recycling or disposal.

What remains of the vehicles would then be shredded, with the ferrous and non-ferrous parts separated accordingly.

The metal will be baled by means of the baling plant.

Mepa will continue to receive submissions on the plant up to April 15.