Venice, 12 April 2024 – Work has begun on the first stage of the 189 million Euro contract for work on the Montesyndial area in Porto Marghera, which will host the Port of Venice’s future container terminal. The North Adriatic Sea port System Authority has handed the areas over the consortium of companies – that includes Fincantieri Infrastructure Opere Marittime Spa, (acting as agent with 41.56% of shares), Trevi Spa (22.02%), C.G.X. Costruzioni Generali Xodo Srl (21.92%) and Zeta srl (14.50%) – which was awarded the work on the first stage of the contract.
They will now proceed to develop the required infrastructure in an area of approximately 8.5 hectares: work will include building the quay and yard (quay area and hatch area) within the first 50 metres, and excavating the West Industrial Canal to achieve the 12-metre depth envisaged in the Port Masterplan and the project, while the current canal bank will be set back 35 metres to achieve a final width of 190 metres.
Originally conceived as the onshore side of a larger project that also included an offshore terminal, the Montesyndial container terminal now stands as a fully independent project administered by the Commissioner. The abandoned industrial district stretches over an area of 90 hectares and includes an uninterrupted quayside of approximately 1,600 metres, which will be able to accommodate Panamax class ships, allowing for annual throughput of up to 1 million TEUs. Emerging from a lengthy procedural and authorisation process whereby all the necessary permits were obtained, including the Environmental Impact Assessment and connected compliance verification, the project is divided into three stages. In addition to the first stage on which work is about to start, there will be a second stage that will cover the construction of an intermodal platform equipped with a double railway track connecting the infrastructure to the national railway network, and a third section that will include container storage areas, road infrastructure, and service facilities.
The total financial outlay, reassessed on the updated technical-economic feasibility project and current prices, amounts to 428 million Euros, an amount which is currently partially financed.
Fulvio Lino Di Blasio, Commissioner for Montesyndial and President of AdSPMAS stated: “We strongly believe in the new Montesyndial terminal project, for which the Port Authority and Commissioner’s organisation have allocated more resources than for any other infrastructure built so far in the lagoon ports. We are regenerating a brownfield, a huge unused industrial district which, once reclaimed and equipped with infrastructure, will once again create value and employment. What will emerge is an intermodal hub that can handle up to 1 million TEUs, multiplying the current traffic of full containers, a high added-value sector serving the Veneto region and the Northeast’s economy, and that will attract investments from operators, both those historically established in Venice and new international players. The construction of the new infrastructure in the southern area of Porto Marghera,” concluded the Commissioner, “is also part of the port’s transformation strategy, aimed at regenerating abandoned and polluted land, while minimising any interference between logistics/manufacturing areas, commercial and residential areas”.
The Managing Director of Fincantieri Infrastructure Opere Marittime SpA, Giorgio Bellipanni, speaking on behalf of consortium, stated his satisfaction at being awarded the contract and declared: “We are honoured to be able to contribute to such an important and strategic initiative, for the redevelopment of an area that, thanks to this infrastructure and to the planned commercial development activities, will contribute to the further growth of Porto Marghera”. He concluded: “All the group’s experience and know-how in the implementation of complex works will be made available to the Commissioner’s organisation and to the Port Authority. We are determined to achieve the common aim of delivering the work on schedule”.