Specifically, the agreement regulates the disposal and reuse of dredged material from the Eastern Ligurian Seaports for the construction of the Port of Genoa’s new breakwater, in compliance with art. 5 of Legislative Decree 17 October 2024 n. 153. Plans are afoot to reuse initially 500,000 cubic metres of dredged material, which has undergone rigorous testing to ensure they are safe and suitable for their intended purpose, and to follow-up with a further maximisation of resource utilisation of dredging operations scheduled across the 2025-2027 three-year period. The beneficial reuse of marine sediments not only minimises waste, but also reduces the carbon footprint of Genoa’s major infrastructure project, as it contributes to the achievement of net-zero emission targets and to the promotion of the principles of the circular economy. The joint waste management plan outlines the projected volumes, timelines and specific operation procedures, to ensure, in addition, the safety and suitability of the material which is to be recycled, in accordance with the strict requirements of the legislation in force. This integrated approach dovetails infrastructure development with the safeguarding of the environment, laying the basis for a more resilient and sustainable Ligurian port range. The agreement sealed between Genoa and La Spezia proves that it is possible to reconcile progress and environmental protection across a joint planning process which can be referred to as a model for similar initiatives in other Italian and European ports.
“This agreement demonstrates how close cooperation between Port Authorities can generate tangible added value to the local community and environment. The dredged sediments, which pass the rigorous testing process, will be reused as raw material in the construction of a strategic infrastructure facility, such as the new breakwater of Genoa,” stated the President of the Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority, Matteo Paroli “It is a unique example of its kind in Italy which testifies to the ability of the Ligurian local public administrations to work together towards a common goal and to apply successfully the principles of circular economy to infrastructure. This pact is not merely a technical agreement, but it is also a model of best practices which inextricably links port development with the environmental sustainability of major construction projects."
Bruno Pisano, Government Commissioner of the Eastern Ligurian Sea Port Authority, thanked President Paroli for his “invaluable support” which “gave us the opportunity to finalise rapidly the details of the agreement, a sign of renewed and strategic collaboration between the two Ligurian Port Authorities” and as “a fundamental step in our port development roadmap, in compliance with the environmental sustainability goals set forth by the Port Authority of La Spezia and Marina di Carrara.”
