Livorno unveils terminal expansion plans

The ‘Europe Platform’ project is a global project that will see the rail network improved in order to allow the rapid transit of containers. The new facility will offer a terminal area of 72 hectares, berths of more than 1,000m and water depth up to 18m.

According to Giuliano Gallanti, president of Livorno Port Authority, the new facility will offer stability and reliability to shipping lines, making the port a flagship in the Mediterranean.

Steve Wray, senior consultant, Ocean Shipping Consultants, told Port Strategy: “For Livorno port, it is essential that something is done to improve the existing terminal, or it will simply become a second rate feeder outport with declining volumes.”

“By improving capacity, water depth, quay length etc., the port has an opportunity to compete with other relatively deepwater hubs in the Mediterranean and will be able to compete with terminals in Genoa (VTE and SECH), as well as La Spezia and Vado Ligure (APMT), to provide access to the Italian hinterland and potential links to central Europe,” he added.

But the project is not without it’s challenges: an international operator is still to be secured and links to the hinterland need to be improved to provide reliable and frequent freight.

“However, challenges are do-able and compared to both Genoese ports, Livorno has the greater potential to succeed with more space to expand and the required depth of water for ULCSs. There are also customs difficulties in the region, but Livorno has an opportunity to be better than the rest with the new facility,” Mr Wray told PS.

The project is budgeted at €800m, including port expansion and land reclamation. Since the project is key to increasing both the regional and the national container traffic, the Tuscany Regional Administration and the Italian Government, together with the Port Authority of Livorno, have agreed to invest €450m.

The remaining amount will be searched in the private sector and, in this regard, talks with terminal operators have already started.

In view of the launching of the international tender, planned for the end of September, the Port Authority of Livorno and the Tuscany Region will unveil the details of the project in a conference on 15 September at the Tuscany Region Administration office in Brussels.

Preliminary building work has already started and an EOI for the tender process is expected to be released in September. The new facility is expected to be operational by end 2020.