One of Europe’s largest maritime construction projects is under way in the Italian port of Genoa. The ‘Genoa New Breakwater’ project is set to be 6 km long in total.
The breakwater is being built by the ‘PerGenova Breakwater’ consortium, led by the Italian construction group Webuild. The contract was awarded by the relevant port authority, the Western Ligurian Sea Port System Authority. Once completed, the port extension is expected to be able to handle large vessels of up to 400 metres in length.
Webuild has installed three further individual segments of the project over the last few days. The final caisson is over 67 metres long, 33 metres high and weighs around 15,000 tonnes. “Its installation involved a complex process – from sea transport to positioning on the seabed – which was carried out using specialised vessels and technical teams for monitoring, control and support at sea, on land and underwater,” Webuild stated. The infrastructure company has installed three further individual segments of the project over the last few days. The latest so-called caisson is over 67 metres long, 33 metres high and weighs around 15,000 tonnes.
“Its installation involved a complex process – from sea transport to positioning on the seabed – which was carried out using specialised vessels and technical teams for monitoring, control and support at sea, on land and underwater,” Webuild stated. The breakwater’s foundations have even been installed at depths of up to 50 metres, making the project the deepest of its kind in Europe.
The works are divided into two phases: in the first phase, due to be completed in 2027, a new access channel over 300 metres wide will be created from the east, thereby increasing the manoeuvring space for ships. In the second phase, scheduled for completion in 2030, the Sampierdarena Canal will be widened to 500 metres.
The project will enable not only large container ships but also cruise ships to manoeuvre more safely and effectively within the port area. Furthermore, the port’s infrastructure will be made more resilient to weather and sea conditions. At the same time, the breakwater will lay the groundwork for further expansion of the port, thereby creating new trade and logistics capacity.
Once completed, this massive project is set to be a “key element” in the development of the Port of Genoa and form part of the city’s comprehensive infrastructure modernisation programme, Webuild announced.
In addition to the new breakwater, Webuild is involved in the integrated project ‘Terzo Valico dei Giovi – Genoa Hub’ – a new high-speed rail line connecting the port to key European logistics corridors – and is also constructing the Genoa Sub-port Tunnel. “Together, these projects will help to strengthen the links between the port system, the rail network and urban mobility, and consolidate Genoa’s strategic role within the Rhine-Alps corridor of the TEN-T network,” the company said.
