Dalli revives pre-election Birżebbuġa proposal as elections near

Energy Minister Miriam Dalli has returned to Birżebbuġa to resuscitate her long-dormant €40 million is-Siċċa project, as speculation intensifies that the country could soon be heading towards general elections.

The pledge was first unveiled with considerable fanfare just two days before the 2022 general elections. At the time, Dalli promised to transform the former San Luċjan oil tanking facility in Qajjenza into a “state-of-the-art innovation and entertainment hub” that would “change the lives” of residents in her fifth district stronghold.

Four years later, little has materialised beyond glossy visuals and political messaging.

Last week, Dalli revisited the site, accompanied by cameras, insisting she “has not stopped working” on the project and announcing that cleaning of the former fuel tanks has finally commenced. Yet no planning application has yet been filed for the promised multi-million-euro development.

Aside from a permit for decommissioning the existing tanks, the flagship proposal remains on paper. No implementation timeline has been made public, and no funds have been earmarked in the 2026 Budget to finance the promised transformation.

When the project was initially launched in 2022, Dalli held a lavish press conference on site, complete with glossy renders prepared by Italian design house Pininfarina.

The Minister announced a €40 million investment to convert derelict tanks into a green, innovative hub, promising quality employment and new leisure facilities for residents in the area.

Subsequent investigations by The Shift revealed that no investor had committed funds to the project. Italian design giant Pininfarina, based in Turin, told The Shift that it had been commissioned by Dalli’s ministry to prepare a conceptual desktop design and had no financial stake in the development.

Documents seen by The Shift show that €152,000 in public funds were spent in connection with the pre-election announcement. Eight invoices totalling €140,000 were issued by Pininfarina for the preparation of conceptual designs. The costs were channelled through Petromal Ltd, a government company within Dalli’s remit.

Additional direct orders covered the staging and promotion of the event, including payments to Tec Ltd – a company frequently used by the Labour Party during its electoral campaigns.

All expenses were approved through the minister’s office and funded from public coffers.

Dalli has been criticised by rival Labour candidates in the fifth district for publicity stunts that have yielded few tangible results. One told The Shift: “Look at the repeated announcements about turning Malta into a green park through Project Green. Can anyone see a real difference?”

Sources familiar with the technical challenges at the site said dismantling and decontaminating the tanks could take months, if not years, before any redevelopment can realistically begin.

“This is all hype to take Birżebbuġa constituents for another ride,” another candidate said.

Dalli has insisted that her plans for what she describes as “a new vision for Birżebbuġa” remain a priority.