Webuild: Genoa Breakwater Project reaches 1,240 metres with 27th Caisson

MILAN, July 21, 2026 – The New Genoa Breakwater has taken up another bit of the seabed. With today’s installation of the 27th caisson by the Pergenova Breakwater Consortium led by Webuild on behalf of the Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority, the offshore structure has reached a total length of 1,240 metres.

Following this latest milestone, the current schedule foresees the installation of additional caissons that would have the breakwater extend by mid-August to approximately 1.5 kilometres, subject to the marine and weather conditions that affect operations of such complexity.

The installation of the caissons is one of the most striking and demanding phases of the project. The massive reinforced concrete structures are brought out to the site offshore and lowered onto the seabed through a series of operations that require precision, complex logistics, and the coordination of numerous specialised vessels.

At the site, pontoons, tugboats and marine platforms support the phases of each installation. It is a highly coordinated operational system working that ensures the transport of the structures and their placement along the seabed.

Much of the activity, however, takes place out of sight. Underwater, a fully operational construction site is active, where divers, specialised technicians and subsea equipment carry out seabed preparations, technical inspections and checks required to accommodate the caissons. This essential work accompanies every phase of construction and plays a key role in the overall progress of the project.

Offshore activities are planned and monitored, with particular attention to operational and environmental conditions according to the highest safety standards. Wind, wave motion and visibility are critical factors that directly influence both the methods and timing of the most complex operations, starting with the installation of the caissons.

At the same time, work proceeds on preparing future installation areas, conducting technical and environmental monitoring, and producing the components required for the next construction phases. This is a process that unfolds simultaneously across land, sea and seabed, steadily shaping—metre by metre—one of the most important port infrastructures currently under construction.