Freeport terminal expansion will host ships larger than four football pitches
The project will generate 165 new jobs, the prime minister said
The terminal expansion of the freeport will increase the terminal's capacity to be able to accommodate ships that are larger than four football pitches in length and can carry up to 23,000 containers, Malta Freeport Terminals CEO Alex Montebello said.
The CEO said this during a visit to Malta Freeport by Prime Minister Robert Abela, who was accompanied by Economy Minister Silvio Schembri and Transport Minister Chris Bonett, to view the "advanced stages" of the project.
In 2023, a land reclamation deal was signed to lease land to Malta Freeport Terminals, the private company that operates the freeport, so that the company could carry out expansion works at Terminal Two.
It is a 30,000 square metre land reclamation project that will extend the north quay at the Freeport’s Terminal Two by 176 metres and the west quay by 195 metres.
Abela praised the project for expanding on a facility that already employs around 1,500 people and contributes €170 million to Malta’s economy.
“The expansion and improvement of maritime infrastructure in the Malta Freeport will lead to the creation of around 165 new jobs,” he said.
Once the project is completed, Abela said that residents in Birżebbuġa will benefit as containerships will be berthed further out and quay cranes will also be situated further away.
The CEO said that recently, their contractors, Polidano, submerged the seventh of 11 caissons needed for the next construction phase, as these watertight structures allow workers to excavate below the waterline.
Montebello added that the company has also made a contribution of €300,000 to the community, while also working on installing an onshore power supply facility, which will reduce emissions.