Restoration works at the Uncontrolled Waste Disposal Site (UWDS) in Vati are already underway, following the signing of the relevant contract on 19 March 2026 and the commencement of construction works on 6 April 2026. This is a project of major environmental significance for the Limassol district, as it concerns not only the rehabilitation and restoration of the Vati landfill site but also the management of waste from eight other uncontrolled waste disposal sites in the district. At the same time, in a separate development, a second tender process is moving forward, concerning the restoration of 19 other UWDS sites in Limassol district, excluding Vati. The signing of the relevant contract is expected shortly, following the procedures before the Tenders Review Authority.
The contract for the Vati UWDS was signed between the Government of the Republic of Cyprus and the joint venture CYFIELD – IACOVOU JOINT VENTURE. The contract value amounts to €26.9 million, excluding VAT. The project's objective is the remediation, restoration and aftercare of the Vati UWDS, as well as the management of waste from eight other UWDS sites in Limassol district. Specifically, waste from the UWDS sites in Agros, Kyperounta, Malia, Dora A and B, Akrotiri, Eptagonia and Pissouri will be transferred to Vati, while those sites will be restored in situ through a series of rehabilitation measures.
The project includes the restoration of the eight UWDS sites, the protection of the restored Vati landfill from stormwater runoff, and the construction of leachate and biogas management systems. It also provides for the rehabilitation of the wastewater lagoons located within the Vati site, the construction of a treated wastewater storage reservoir, a pipeline network for the transfer of treated wastewater to the reservoir, and the construction of a pumping station. The total implementation period of the project is 58 months. Of these, 40 months are allocated for construction works, followed by an 18-month Defects Liability Period. The project is being implemented under the Cohesion Policy Programme “THALIA 2021–2027”, with co-financing from the European Union.
The President of the Limassol Waste Disposal Management Board (SEDAL) and Mayor of Kourion, Pantelis Georgiou, stated that the Vati contract was tendered by the Water Development Department and, therefore, responsibility for monitoring and managing the project remains with the Department until the expiry of the contract. As he noted, following the handover of the facility, whether to the District Local Government Organisation (EOA) or the local authority, the matter will be re-examined. He further stressed that the Municipality of Kourion and SEDAL remain interested in the potential utilisation of biogas, provided that commercially exploitable quantities are identified.
“Since the process has only recently commenced and modifications were made during the tendering process regarding the original number of UWDS sites whose waste would be transferred, we have not yet been informed how this has affected the quality and quantity of the biogas. However, if there is something commercially exploitable, it is certainly something that the Municipality of Kourion and SEDAL will pursue,” he said.
Beyond the Vati project, the process is also advancing for a second, separate tender concerning the restoration of 19 additional UWDS sites in Limassol district. The signing of the relevant contract is expected soon, following the decision of the Tenders Review Authority, which paved the way for the restoration and aftercare of these sites, excluding Vati.
Under the awarded contract, the cost of restoring these UWDS sites amounts to €7,524,177, comprising €6,322,838 plus VAT of €1,201,339. Four bids were submitted for the tender, all exceeding the estimated value set by the competent government authority. Specifically, Iacovou Brothers (Construction) Ltd submitted a bid of €6,493,700, Medcon Construction Ltd €6,887,093.69, Lambrou and Poutziouris Construction Ltd €6,100,000, and Cyfield Engineering and Contracting Public Limited €6,332,838. Ultimately, the contract was awarded to Cyfield Engineering and Contracting Public Limited.
The tender was launched on 14 May 2025, and initially there was a recommendation to award the contract to Lambrou and Poutziouris Construction Ltd, which had submitted the lowest bid of €6.1 million plus VAT. Subsequently, Cyfield filed an appeal before the Tenders Review Authority, challenging the decision. The appeal was upheld and, on 8 October 2025, the Authority annulled the original award decision. The contract was then awarded to Cyfield, prompting Lambrou and Poutziouris Construction Ltd to file a further appeal before the Tenders Review Authority.
The advancement of the landfill restoration projects is also linked to Cyprus’s obligation to comply with European environmental legislation. The European Commission had referred Cyprus to the Court of Justice of the European Union and proposed the imposition of financial penalties due to the country's failure to properly manage uncontrolled waste disposal sites and to implement a previous Court ruling concerning the Landfill Directive.
