Old Birżebbuġa fuel storage plant declared hazard-free, step closer to dismantling

Birżebbuġa’s old fuel storage plant nestled in the midst of a residential area is one step closer to being dismantled after it was declared hazard-free.

The Environment Ministry said the site known as 31 March plant has been officially removed from the list of sites subject to the ‘Control of Major Accident Hazards’ (COMAH) regulations.

This development follows months of work by State-owned company Enemed, which is now operating from its new facility in Ħas-Saptan. All fuel is now stored in underground tanks.

Enemed had been engaged in a months-long process to empty and clean the Birżebbuġa tanks from petrol and diesel residues, and the bottom stock removed.

The ministry said the tanks were then inspected and certified as being gas-free. During this phase, the system of pipes connecting the tanks to each other and the system connecting the plant to the pier at Birżebbuġa and the Dolphin of Marsaxlokk were dismantled to isolate the land facility completely.

Experts then inspected the plant and confirmed the site could now be removed from the list of sites considered to fall under the COMAH regulations. The decision effectively means that the facility can no longer operate as a fuel storage depot.

The ministry said the European Commission was also informed of this development via the Seveso Plants Information Retrieval System (eSPIRS).

“Now that Enemed has completed all activities related to this plant, the site has been handed back to Enemalta to begin the dismantling of the tanks,” the ministry said, adding Enemalta is currently going through the planning application process to obtain the necessary permits for the tank removal works.

“After Enemalta completes its work related to the plant, Project Green can begin preparations to regenerate the Pont tax-Shell area,” the ministry said.

Known in the locality as il-Pont tax-Shell, the jetty allowed ships to offload fuel to the facility. Plans to regenerate the jetty into a pedestrian area with access to the sea were unveiled on the eve of the 2022 general election by Energy Minister Miriam Dalli.

The project aims to restore the 180-meter-long jetty with the construction of a new structure of approximately 1,500sq.m. Access to the sea will be restored with a deck and stairs, to enhance accessibility and safety for swimmers while protecting the marine environment.