Venice, 16 July 2026 – The inauguration of the SAPIO Group’s new renewable hydrogen production plant took place today in Porto Marghera. Completed exactly one year after the foundation stone was laid and fully in line with the deadlines set under Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Facility, the facility marks a significant milestone for the Venice Hydrogen Valley and the energy transition of Venice’s industrial hub.
NASPA was represented at the event by Secretary General, Roberto Mantovanelli, who stressed that the Port System Authority is not merely an observer, but a reliable partner supporting the companies that make Porto Marghera a dynamic, innovative and sustainable hub.
The Secretary General noted that, against the backdrop of a complex international environment and uncertain energy scenarios in which many stakeholders are forced to “navigate by sight”, Sapio’s success demonstrates that public institutions must go beyond their usual role. They must act not only to the best of their ability, but to the fullest extent possible, providing certainty, stability and guarantees to those who continue to invest in the local area.
From this perspective, the Secretary General reiterated the package of concrete guarantees that NASPA provides to strategic operators such as SAPIO:
- Comprehensive connectivity: enhancement of maritime accessibility, through works on the Malamocco–Marghera Channel, which are ready to begin as soon as the Environmental Impact Assessment procedure has been completed, as well as improved land connections, thanks to progress on the railway bridge construction site and the Montesyndial multimodal project.
- Record approval times: full use of the simplified procedures offered by the Simplified Logistics Zone to attract new investment in cutting-edge projects.
- Financial support: the Authority’s ongoing commitment to identifying funding opportunities to support new sustainable business models.
- Promotion of excellence: enhancement not only of infrastructure, but also of the valuable industrial and logistics expertise accumulated over a century of history.
- Interinstitutional cooperation: the key strategic factor that has brought the public and private sectors together since the memorandum of understanding between the Authority, Sapio and Hydrogen Park was signed five years ago. This cooperation has now become a reality thanks to the combined efforts of the relevant ministries, the Veneto Region and the effective deployment of NRRF funding.
The inauguration of SAPIO’s new plant demonstrates how the combination of private-sector vision and the responsiveness of public institutions can reshape the future of the port sector and Italy’s energy transition.
