Ports of Genoa's strategic role in the EU: Renew4ge and E-Bridge

Official presentation of the Renew4ge and E-Bridge projects progress and results. The Ports of Genoa and Savona-Vado Ligure's key role in the EU's intermodal chain supply between Europe and the Mediterranean across the Rhine-Alpine corridor.

The historic headquarters of the Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority, Palazzo San Giorgio, provided the stunning backdrop to the event dedicated to the presentation of the project results of RENEW4GE and E-BRIDGE, co-funded for approximately 9 million euros by the European Union's CEF for Transport Programme, to upgrade both the tangible and intangible infrastructure of the Ports of Genoa's last-mile rail link across the development of intermodality and digitalisation.

The prime objective of the EU-funded projects, which group together both public and private partners including the Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority, Circle Group and the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, is to optimise rail and road freight traffic to/from the Ports of Genoa, leading maritime gateway into Europe across the Mediterranean and, consequently, to achieve the seamless integration of the ports along the Rhine-Alpine corridor. The two projects form part of a wide-ranging programme of large-scale infrastructure investments to strengthen the port's position as a modern logistics platform serving Europe, which includes the construction of the new hi-speed/hi-capacity railway line across the Apennines, the upgrade of the Genoa rail junction, the new breakwaters in Genoa and Vado and the wide range of major roadworks underway in the Ports of Genoa and Savona-Vado.

Italy's strategic role within the European Union was also highlighted by Julián Espina Casabonne-Maisonnave, Project Manager of European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), as four of the nine TEN-T Core Network corridors run across Italy, with a focus on Genoa's leading position as major maritime gateway for the EU's import-export market. The EU Official's opening speech was preceded by the Port Government Commissioner Paolo Piacenza's welcome address in which he underlined the Western Ligurian Sea Ports' role as premier Mediterranean logistics hub in the heart of Europe to serve one of the most prosperous global economic areas in terms of population and GNP.

Specifically, the RENEW4GE project received EU funding for a total of approximately 2.8 million euros, allocated to the last-mile rail link projects in progress across Genoa's Sampierdarena basin - Molo Nuovo Tunnel, Fuori Muro Rail Yard, Rugna Rail Yard - and to the upgrade of maritime accessibility - the new Port Control Tower. The co-funded activities are set to be completed by the end of this year.

Whilst E-BRIDGE focuses on the development of ICT systems dedicated to advanced road gate management, the optimisation and digitization of the last-mile rail link and smart port and inland buffer area management. The project is coordinated by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport and groups together a team of public and private partners: Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority, Digitalog SpA, Circle SpA, HUB Telematica Srl, with the added participation of RAM SpA, Port of Genoa terminal operators and MTOs. The co-funded activities, for a total of 6 million euros, are scheduled for completion by December 2024.