Works on the second block of columns now to begin

Genoa, September 21, 2023 – Submerged giants to support the New Genoa Breakwater: i.e. the first 850 gravel columns which will be completed according by the end of September by the Webuild-led consortium, with Fincantieri Infrastrutture Opere Marittime, Fincosit and Sidra. The construction of this first group of columns will close the works of the first test camp. As of today, approximately 370 tons of gravel have been laid on the seabed. By the end of September, works on the block of columns of the second test camp will also begin, the largest intervention ever to be carried out to benefit the Italian port system.

Approximately 220 trips from Genoa and Piombino were needed to transport on average 3,000 tons of gravel per day to be able to lay this quantity of material on the seabed. The goal is to reach 170,000 of material laid each month, by using additional ships. Starting this week, already, the production will be strengthened, as an additional 40,000-ton ship will also be used, arriving from Spain every 15 days. 

The search for ordnances on the seabed up to 50 metres in depth is also continuing. These operations began at the end of July. Webuild is the first Italian company to use an innovative operating procedure with divers working in a situation of hyperbaric saturation. 

Over 1,000 people are working to build the New Genoa Breakwater including directly and indirectly hired personnel. As of date, it engages over 80 supply chain companies, which are nearly all Italian. This strategic project was commissioned by the Western Ligurian Seaport System Authority, and has European, national, and local significance. Co-funded by the Italian government with resources from the PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan) supplementary fund, the breakwater will enhance maritime accessibility of the port of Genoa, also consolidating the strategic role of the city's port system within the Rhine-Alpine corridor of the TEN-T Trans-European network, a corridor that from Genoa reaches Rotterdam. The Terzo Valico dei Giovi Genoa Junction Project, also currently being built by Webuild, is also part of the corridor.

The New Genoa Breakwater, unique in engineering terms, will extend, in its final configuration, for 6,200 metres, replacing the existing structure, also protecting the port from sea waves. Its positioning will also be further out at sea, so that the "Ultra Large" (ULCV) modern ships, which as of today, are currently limited due to the small manoeuvring space currently offered, will also be able to access.