“What we have set in motion is a massive project involving many workers and companies that are leaders in their respective fields. Apart from the lengthy authorization procedures prior to the Environmental Impact Assessment being authorized, there have been no delays to the schedule we set ourselves. We have continued to work diligently on coordinating the project’s commission group, the Prefecture and the Port Network Authority.” Speaking to Port News, Luciano Guerrieri offered reassurances regarding the roadmap for completing Darsena Europa, the seaward expansion project which will allow the Port of Livorno to secure a new competitive position on the international stage.
“Pending the completion of the requirements set out in the Environmental Impact Assessment, we have put major contracts out to tender,” says the project’s special commissioner, stressing that the work – awarded at the time to the joint venture comprising Società Italiana Dragaggi, Fincantieri Infrastructure Opere Marittime, Sales and Fincosit – has never been stopped. “Since laying the foundation stone, we have had to overcome countless obstacles and problems,” adds the former president of the North Tyrrhenian Port Network Authority. In particular, he discussed the preliminary site preparation work, which is proceeding as planned: “To date, the first 950 metres of the outer breakwater (out of a total of 7 kilometres) have been completed. It delineates the smaller sludge-containment basin (300,000 m3), which, once consolidated, will be used as a yard for ro-ro traffic.”
That’s not all: “In the meantime, we’ve continued to expand the test site for the gravel columns that will be placed beneath most of the breakwaters; we’ve installed 3,020 of them.”
In addition, there is the consolidation work on the first sludge-containment basin: “The first containment facility, covering 37 hectares, is due to be completed by June 2027, but we are working hard to finish it ahead of schedule. We aim to have the area consolidated by February 2027. We are also carrying out preliminary assessments prior to the project design phase for consolidating part of the second containment basin.”
Mr. Guerrieri goes on to stress that the commission team is fully committed to the extensive, complex environmental monitoring programme stipulated in the authorizations, and that the team is in constant contact with the Environmental Observatory and the associations to provide all the necessary information for compliance monitoring: “Work on implementing the pre-construction monitoring programme in accordance with the compliance requirements is nearing completion, and we are continuing to submit reports to the Environmental Observatory,” says Mr. Guerrieri. He highlights that, to date, over 90 analysis, reporting, recording and monitoring activities have been carried out in the marine environment alone, all of which have covered a wide range of different areas. They cover habitat conservation, studying non-native species, the integrity of marine food webs, the condition of the seabed, and preparatory work for replanting Neptune grass. The quality of coastal waters has also been under the microscope. This entailed studying chemical and physical parameters and chemical, microbiological and ecotoxicological analyses, which also included sediment samples. The onshore environment has also been assessed. 21 studies have been conducted investigating the atmosphere, noise, vibrations, soil, landscape, terrestrial biodiversity and human health.
“The sheer volume of studies carried out over the last few months has been impressive,” explains the project’s special commissioner: “This is no small undertaking; the Port Network Authority plans to invest over twenty million euros to make Darsena Europa fully sustainable and compliant with the EIA requirements.”
One final point concerns the agreement to entrust ANAS with the technical and economic feasibility study for the road link to Darsena Europa. “In coordination with the Prefecture and the Port Network Authority, we have sent ANAS a revised version of the document, taking into account their comments. We will be able to proceed with the signing shortly.”
Translation by Giles Foster
