Draft master plans for the ports of Savona and Vado Ligure in northwestern Italy propose around 500,000 square metres of land reclamation to expand cargo, ferry, and rail facilities.
At Savona, nearly 300,000 square metres would be reclaimed, substantially doubling the area of the historic port.
The Ports of Genoa Authority has proposed seaward expansion of multi-purpose cargo areas and new quays. It has also proposed removing some projecting quay profiles to ease cruise ship entrance manoeuvres.
More than 200,000 square metres would be reclaimed at Vado Ligure. This space would extend the container terminal operated by APM Terminals, expand Ro-Pax areas, and widen marine structures to allow the railway alignment to be reorganised.
The breakwater would also be strengthened to enlarge the water area and improve the safety of manoeuvres at the platform.
"For Savona, we have been able to envisage a significant development component, but we have done so while maintaining a restrained and realistic approach," Ports of Genoa Authority President Matteo Paroli said in October.
The new plan would replace the master plan approved in 2005. It is being developed over a 25- to 30-year horizon and will be subject to a strategic environmental assessment.
Draft scenarios have been presented to operators, local authorities, unions and the harbour authority since September. Draft plans for Genoa, where a new breakwater is under construction, were published alongside them.
The authority's 2027 budget allocates €5.2 million (US$5.8 million) to the new Vado breakwater and €960,000 (US$1.1 million) to railway terminal ramp improvements at Vado Ligure.
Vado Gateway opened in December 2019 with 450 metres of its quay in operation; the full 700 metres became available in July 2020.
Once fully operating, it was expected to have annual capacity of about 900,000 TEUs, plus 250,000 TEUs at the adjacent reefer terminal.
APM Terminals says planned upgrades, including 750-metre tracks, would lift its rail share from 30 per cent to more than 40 per cent.