Project part of Webuild’s activities in southern Italy, where Group is engaged in public works worth a combined award value of €15 billion

Completed as part of recently inaugurated Bicocca-Catenanuova high-capacity railway section, it covers nearly 16,000 hectares across Catania, Enna and Siracusa provinces

Pipeline network, developed by Webuild as part of the rail project, ensures zero water dispersion, enhancing local agriculture 

CATANIA, Italy, November 10, 2025 – A railway infrastructure that also brings water to farmers. In Sicily, along the recently inaugurated Bicocca-Catenanuova section of the Palermo-Catania high-capacity railway, an auxiliary project has been completed that exemplifies a virtuous model of integrated development: 25 kilometres of underground water pipelines, designed by Webuild and included in the rail project commissioned by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI of Gruppo FS Italiane) that have modernized the network on behalf of Consorzio di Bonifica di Catania.

The Bicocca-Catenanuova section, built by a consortium led by Webuild and commissioned by RFI, stretches for 38 kilometres and is part of an upgrade of the entire Palermo-Catania-Messina rail corridor, for which Webuild is working on another six lots.

This project is part of Webuild’s broader commitment to southern Italy, where the Group is working on strategic projects worth a combined award value of approximately €15 billion. In the region, Webuild employs about 8,700 people both directly and indirectly as of June 30, 2025, and has involved more than 7,600 companies along the supply chain since the start of construction. It’s a development model that generates value for the region, engages local skills and suppliers and creates qualified employment through targeted investments in training and workplace safety.

In the case of Piana di Catania, a dense network of old irrigation pipes was replaced to ensure water distribution with zero dispersion. The new pipelines, made of ductile iron and high-density polyethylene, are connected to the existing network and serve a farming area of nearly 16,000 hectares across the provinces of Catania, Enna and Siracusa. They reach the municipalities of Belpasso, Paternò, Ramacca, Motta Santa Anastasia, Catenanuova, Centuripe and Lentini, where the renowned red oranges are grown but face the threat of drought. 

The construction of the railway section also enabled a more precise mapping of the local water network, enabling future modernisation efforts. The new pipelines include intake structures, hydraulic regulation components, and connections to secondary and tertiary networks that belong to the irrigation system of Consorzio di Bonifica di Catania. The system, structured into primary, secondary, and tertiary pipelines, ensures water supply to farm lands, supporting local entrepreneurship.