Autorità di Sistema Portuale del Mar Tirreno Settentrionale, the Italian port authority that looks after the Port of Livorno, has launched the Piattaforma Europa project – a massive reconfiguration of the port’s coastal infrastructure that it hopes will place it firmly on the Mediterranean map.
The north Italian Port of Livorno Italy sits at the northern mouth of the Mediterranean Sea on the Tyrrhenian Sea coast.
While having long served as an important cargo port, the port’s leadership has recognised that without expanding capacity and maritime accessibility, Livorno could fall behind other major Mediterranean hubs that already handle larger vessels and growing cargo volumes.
To respond to this challenge, the port authority has embarked on the Piattaforma Europa (Europe Platform) expansion, a plan to extend the existing port area seaward and build infrastructure capable of accommodating the next generation of deep‑draught ships.
Dredging and coastal defence works were kicked off by DEME Group last year to excavate 14.5 million cubic metres of material from the port approaches and interior basins. This will deepen the access channel to 17 metres and the inner basins to 16 metres, enabling larger container ships and other deep‑sea vessels to enter and dock.
The dredged material is being reused as part of land reclamation to form new two million square metres of port platform area, where future quays and terminals will be built.
“Conceived and designed to accommodate large ships, it will offer 3km of quays, two large terminals, two million square metres of new areas and a new port entrance with depths up to -20m,” says the Authority.
Civil engineering scope also includes the construction of two new breakwaters and the relocation of the historic Meloria breakwater to create a modern protective envelope for the expanded harbour basin.
Consortium and funding
A consortium of DEME’s Italian subsidiary Società Italiana Dragaggi (SIDRA), Fincantieri Infrastructure Opere Marittime, Sales and Fincosit won the contract for the works.
Financing has come from, among others, the European Investment Bank, which agreed to lend €90 million as part of the wider €473 million total spend.
As well as building breakwaters, a sediment containment area will have to be installed.
The overarching objective of Piattaforma Europa is to limit bottlenecks in maritime accessibility and expand Livorno’s operational capacity well into the coming decade, enhancing connections along the Mediterranean and to Central and Northern Europe. By expanding deep‑water access, increasing container capacity with new terminals and modernising port infrastructure, Livorno aims to renew its role as a gateway between Mediterranean trade routes and Europe’s inland transport corridors.
Construction is expected to continue through the late 2020s, with interim milestones such as phased quay and terminal readiness anticipated before final completion.
The new port infrastructure is being developed in two phases. In the first phase, the new container terminal will be built, while the second phase will be dedicated to the motorways of the sea and Ro-Ro and Ro-Pax traffic.
