Letters to the editor - April 3, 2025

A burning incinerator issue

This is an open letter to National Audit Office:

As a citizen of Malta and, more so, as a resident of Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq, I welcomed the news that you have accepted a request to investigate the public call process for the waste incinerator project in Magħtab.

I understand that your terms of reference indicate that the investigation will analyse whether a proper evaluation was carried out, in accordance with principles of good governance, to assess a range of social, environmental and governance-related factors.

It will also evaluate the expected level of diligence and good governance by the Department of Contracts, government entities, ministries, cabinet and any other relevant persons, particularly regarding accountability, transparency and confidentiality in the tendering and monitoring process.

Among others, the investigation will examine the project’s benefits, its environmental impact and whether the interests of nearby residents were safeguarded (‘NAO agrees to probe Magħtab waste incinerator contract’, March 29).

The site of the planned incinerator in Magħtab.

I would like to focus on the project’s benefits, its environmental impact and whether the interests of nearby residents were safeguarded. The project has been sold to the public as a renewable energy initiative that will contribute to the general well-being of our nation. This cannot be further from the truth. I invite you to read the article entitled ‘Exposing the Waste-to-Energy Lie’ by Tim Smedley from The New Climate.

In this article, you will learn that the incineration option creates many more problems than benefits. Denmark embarked on a major incineration strategy some years ago only to find out they are detrimental to public health and are in the process of closing seven incinerators across the country. Scotland banned incinerators altogether as they have found that they produce nanoparticles that cannot be filtered, causing respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

Incinerators are used to burn the most toxic materials. They pollute more than power stations running on coal and generate the same CO2 emissions as landfills. A medium-sized incinerator emits as much nitrogen oxides as 10,000 diesel cars travelling at 30mph.

It is ironic that we have signed up to reduce microplastics from the seas and then approve a project that will produce it in the air we breathe. The European Commission issued a recommendation against incinerators, and we will be investing €600 million in this technology.

According to a separate study, the plant that is being proposed in Magħtab is far bigger than we need. This will lead to recyclable materials being diverted to incineration, making a complete mockery of the much-publicised circular economy.

The project will turn a primarily agricultural and residential area into an industrial site without the consent of those inhabiting the area. The excessive size of the plant means it will be visible from every angle, creating an ugly eyesore the residents will have to live with every day.

The prevailing wind in the Maltese islands is north-westerly. The site chosen for the incinerator means the emissions will be blown straight into an area inhabited by residents and one of the busiest tourist locations. If such a plant is to be built, it must be where the prevailing winds will blow the emissions out to sea.

I hope you will investigate and confirm the facts that I have mentioned above so that the authorities abandon this project, which will be detrimental to Malta on so many levels.

Denis Zammit Cutajar – Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq