Works to replenish Balluta Bay started on Tuesday, with the operation expected to continue for 48 hours. 

The operation is being out by a dipper dredger, with a high-capacity dredge pump used to transfer sand through a floating pipeline.

In a statement, construction firm Polidano Group said they expected the works to go on for around 48 hours. 

Balluta Bay was first replenished with sand one year ago. That experiment was short-lived, with the replenished beach swept away almost entirely by winter storms.

Despite the setback, Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi said the project would be repeated annually at a cost of around €80,000.

Operators of the Marriott hotel nearby have pledged to pay for the project for the next five years. That offer has been received with scepticism by the town's mayor, however. 

The replenishment experiment would also be replicated at St Thomas Bay in Marsascala, Dr Mizzi had later announced.

He had defended the project, saying it was worth the money since people enjoyed the beach during the summer months.

"The cost and the investment is not massive, so we will be replenishing it or topping it up on a yearly basis," he said.