Mediterranean Energy Limited (MEL) invested around €224,000 for the greening of a former quarry and landfill in Bengħajsa where it owns and operates a 2.4MWp solar farm. Of these costs, approximately €148,500 were deemed to be eligible for EU funding.
For these eligible investments, MEL received 80 per cent support, totalling circa €118,800 from the EU under the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 Measure 4.4 – Support for Non-Productive Investments, European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).
Funds provided under this measure are intended to encourage investments that do not provide significant returns in terms of income but provide a positive contribution to the environment, particularly with respect to the restoration of habitats and landscapes, soil conservation and water management.
The farm contributes on multiple levels
The EAFRD co-financed project entailed two main investments:
• The restoration and construction of rubble walls: Using the traditional model and construction features, Maltese rubble walls were erected for a range of specific environmental, natural and topographic purposes. They substantially reduce soil erosion as well as bring back to life an intrinsic cultural and historic landscape feature. In addition, rubble walls also make an intrinsic contribution to the creation and nurturing of a bio-diversity corridor between the nearby Natura 2000 Site and adjacent fields.
• Geotextile membrane: A geotextile membrane was laid out and installed over the entire site with a two-fold purpose.
Firstly, it precludes water from seeping through the fly-ash. Functionally, this prevents the leeching of toxins into the Malta Mean Sea-Level Aquifer, the adjacent Natura 2000 site and eventually the sea.
Secondly, the membrane also facilitates the collection of rainwater in two on-site, underground water reservoirs for reuse on site.
Other greening efforts funded by MEL included the removal of invasive alien species from the site. Subsequently, new indigenous trees were planted, contributing to the tender remit on various levels.
From a landscaping and aesthetic perspective, MEL’s investments completely repurposes for productive use an unsightly and degraded natural habitat.
In the context of forward-looking energy and environmental policy, the farm also contributes on multiple levels. With Malta averaging 300 days of sunshine a year, the project capitalises on Malta’s most abundant and free energy source. For perspective, the solar farm produces sufficient clean energy to power approximately 760 households annually. Environmentally, it contributes an annual reduction of almost 1,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions. The tree-planting initiative contributes further to CO2 capture.