Sicily, waste-to-energy plants: the CTS has given the go-ahead
Approval granted, subject to conditions, for the two plants with a capacity of 600,000 tonnes per year. The inter-departmental meeting is due to take place next week: the necessary authorisations still need to be finalised before the tenders can go ahead
Sicily is moving towards putting the two waste-to-energy plants in Palermo and Catania out to tender. The specialist technical committee for environmental authorisations has given a favourable opinion on the projects, with requirements to be incorporated into the detailed design. This is a decisive step for a public investment set to transform waste management on the island, though the authorisation process remains ongoing.
The body, now chaired by Maria Chiara Tomasino, has concluded its preliminary investigation following a review of the documentation, technical meetings and site inspections. The opinion concerns the environmental impact assessment of the two plants: next week, as announced by the Region, a services conference will be convened as part of the procedure for the Single Regional Authorisation Measure (PAUR). To finalise the process, all opinions and approvals from the bodies involved will be required, in addition to the Integrated Environmental Authorisation from the regional Department of Water and Waste.
“We are taking another significant step forward, from a technical point of view, towards the construction of waste-to-energy plants,” says Regional President Renato Schifani, who also holds the post of special commissioner for the waste management cycle. The aim, he adds, is to reach the PAUR stage and launch tenders for detailed design, construction and operation. Giusi Savarino, Councillor for Land Use and the Environment, links the progress of the projects to a reduction in waste disposal costs. “Work is continuing to free Sicily from excessive waste management costs,” says Giusi Savarino, “thanks to new disposal facilities in line with the latest technologies already in use in Europe’s largest cities.”
From a financial perspective, the Cohesion Agreement signed in May 2024 allocated 800 million euros to the two waste-to-energy plants: however, the regional statement issued alongside the submission of the projects on 30 April indicated a total investment of around one billion in public funds. These two figures refer respectively to the resources allocated under the agreement and to the estimate announced by the Region; the relationship between them remains to be clarified within the economic framework of the projects.
