Waste incinerator tender attracts 11 bidders

Wasteserv’s incinerator tender has attracted 11 bidders, the government agency said on Tuesday when the submission period for the prequalification questionnaire closed.

The agency said the 11 bids will now be analysed and scored according to the pre-established criteria identified within the PQQ document. The top five eligible bidders that score the highest points will be shortlisted and invited to participate in a dialogue process.

The names of the 11 bidders were not released but Wasteserv said they include “numerous world leading names”.

WasteServ CEO Richard Bilocca welcomed the strong interest from the sector in the €400 million project. “The successful implementation of this procurement process will deliver immediate and concrete improvements in Malta’s infrastructural setup and long-term environmental performance,” he said.

The tendering process had to start again after a previous competitive procedure launched in 2020 was abandoned earlier this year because three shortlisted companies failed to submit a final bid.

Then environment minister Aaron Farrugia had said COVID-19 and international mergers were the reasons why none of the three companies proceeded to a final bid.

The incinerator will be treating non-recyclable waste which will be diverted away from landfill and converted into energy. Interested companies will be expected to build the facility within three years and then operate it for 20 years.

Wasteserv says the project will be a game changer in Malta’s waste management potential and will complement the rest of the green waste management plants that will form part of the ECOHIVE complex in Magħtab. “This investment will allow the country to reach its full circular economy potential,” the agency said.