Final unexploaded ordnance search phase to begin

Rome, February 06, 2024 – In the waters off the coast of Genoa, works proceed rapidly to build the new breakwater. The Webuild Group has in fact reached a milestone, during these days: that of laying 1 million tonnes of gravel along the seabed, offshore from Genoa, reaching 40% of the laying activities complying with the set timings. A quantity that allowed building, since May 2023, more than 1,320 submerged gravel columns, concomitantly safeguarding the marine ecosystem. 

While at the same time, the activities to search for the underwater unexploded ordnances continue to advance, 70% of which have been in fact already completed. This last phase will focus on the sixth and final unexploded ordnance search area, so that all activities are complete by summer.

To reach the 1 million goal, during the previous months the supply of the material increased from the quarries in Liguria, Piombino and Cartagena in Spain, also adding the bulk carrier Sider Olympia, capable of carrying a load of 40,000 tonnes of gravel by sea, to the already active two ships. In order to meet the not always favourable sea and weather conditions, the Consortium, to build the columns at the required depth, is using a large barge equipped with 4 cranes, each 40 metres in height, with 22-metre-long vibrating needle-shaped probes, which is now moored at the Port and is being set-up, and when finally set-up will add to the currently used pontoon with two cranes and two probes.  The barge that will be used to produce the caissons has also arrived at the Port and is in fact moored at the Porto Antico (the Old Port). It will be first transferred to the Voltri Dam and then to its final destination, the Vado quay, where it will be put into function.

The subsequent significant project stage will be the one including the start of the prefabrication of the huge caissons that will be the heart of the new breakwater which is expected to happen in April.  These huge cellular reinforced concrete blocks, when built, at a maximum depth of 50 metres, one next to the other, will complete the 6.2 kilometres foreseen for the breakwater project. Phase A of the project foresees the construction of 97 caissons, of which the largest will be each as tall as a ten-storey building, therefore reaching 33 metres in height, 35 metres in width, 67 metres in length.

Works are therefore being carried out on concomitant multiple fronts. The project, which is strategic for the Italian port system, is being built by Webuild with Fincantieri Infrastrutture Marittime, Fincosit and Sidra, also with the consultancy services of Rina, for the project management part. The project has been commissioned by the Autorità di Sistema Portuale del Mar Ligure Occidentale (Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority). It will consolidate the role of the Port of Genoa in the Rhine-Alpine Corridor of the TEN-T trans-European network, to which the Terzo Valico dei Giovi-Genoa Junction Project also being built by Webuild also belongs. This will therefore further contribute to the development of Genoa's port system, specifically focusing also on environmental sustainability.