Dredging operations are underway across the Ports of Genoa and Savona, with the dual objective to maintain and to deepen the depth alongside quaylines to cater for the arrival of the next generation ultra- large vessels, both full-container and cruise ships. It is essential to remove regularly from the navigation channels the accumulations of sand and sediment deposited by tide and river flows into the sea to ensure safe and easy access to terminal facilities.

Genoa is the focus of the excavation of a total of 600,000 cubic metres of sediment, equal to the size of 60 football pitches up to 1 metre in height. In the passenger port, depth alongside the cruise terminal quay of Ponte dei Mille will be boosted to -11 metres and to -10 metres along the ferry terminal wharves. In Sampierdarena, the draft is planned to increase to up to -14.5 metres along the multipurpose terminals sited in the basin, and taken from -16 to -17 metres in Calata Bettolo and, in conjunction with the construction of the new breakwater, up to -18.5 metres along the navigation channel,

A significant amount of the dredged material with the right physical properties for reuse, will be deployed to fill and stabilise the mega reinforced-concrete cellular caissons that will be positioned at sea in the construction of the new breakwater in Sampierdarena.

In Savona, dredging operations will be limited to the navigation channel along Calata delle Vele in the cruise port where the depth is set to increase to -11 metres, at the same level as the draft alongside the terminal quayline, to ensure in full safety manoeuvres on the part of the next generation of cruise vessels The sediment deposits released during excavation will be disposed of in the Bulk Alti Fondali Terminal area.

Dredging works are not required in the basins of Pra’ and Vado Ligure due to the natural deepwaters.