Rome/Singapore, 25 February 2026 – An investment of 1 billion USD to strengthen the competitiveness of the Port of Genoa and the national logistics system, focusing on technological innovation, environmental sustainability and operational efficiency, subject to relevant reviews and applicable administrative procedures and approvals. This is the content of the strategically important framework agreement defined in the presence of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport and PSA International between the Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority and PSA Italy, signed today in Singapore by the President of the Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority Matteo Paroli and Roberto Ferrari, CEO of PSA Italy, in the presence of the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport of Italy Edoardo Rixi and the Group CEO of PSA International Ong Kim Pong.
The agreement sets out a framework for a proposed investment focused on technological implementation and infrastructural adaptation of PSA Italy's PSA Genova Pra' terminal. The interventions will increase container handling capacity, optimise logistics flows and accommodate mega vessels without operational limitations, thanks in part to the planned dredging activities.
The investment aims to provide Italy and the Mediterranean with a high-tech port terminal capable of competing effectively with the major ports of Northern Europe and capturing a growing share of international trade flows. The project involves the use of fully electric equipment to mitigate noise levels and CO2 emissions, in line with national and European sustainability and energy transition objectives.
“The Mediterranean has once again become a strategic area for global trade, and Italy has a duty to play a leading role. Our goal is to put Italian ports in a position to compete on equal terms with the major global hubs, governing the processes of technological transformation with a strategic vision, in the interests of the country and employment. The mission to Singapore confirms the government's decision to strengthen an industrial policy for ports based on investment, innovation and international competitiveness," said Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport of Italy, Edoardo Rixi.
The agreement includes a proposal to, subject to applicable procedures and approvals, reorganize the terminal's operational areas, through the harmonization of existing concessions and the redefinition of truck logistics with the advancement of the port gate and the creation of new buffer areas, as well as the consolidation of spaces functional to the optimization of traffic flows.
"The agreement reached marks a strategic step forward for the port system of the Western Ligurian Sea and its international projection. The planned investment – amounting to one billion dollars – represents a private commitment of unprecedented size in an Italian port and confirms the system's ability to attract long-term capital, thanks in part to the 3.6 billion euros in public investment already allocated. Following the development in Vado, the upgrading of another terminal integrated into the system will improve the port's operational performance and international competitiveness, while ensuring continuity of employment and the enhancement of existing professional skills. This development will take place with full respect for continuity of employment: the professional skills currently employed represent an asset to the system and will be enhanced in line with the expected increases in traffic volumes. The agreement also defines a renewed framework for relations between the Port Authority and operators, overcoming a prolonged period of complexity that had generated inevitable uncertainties. The stability of institutional relations is, in fact, an essential prerequisite for attracting long-term investment and ensuring solid and sustainable growth prospects for the Port of Genoa,” added the President of the Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority, Matteo Paroli.
The agreement was signed during an institutional mission to Singapore by the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport of Italy, Edoardo Rixi, and the President of the Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority, Matteo Paroli, which was also attended by the Ambassador of Italy to Singapore, Dante Brandi. In addition to the meeting with PSA International executives, the institutional visit included a tour of the Tuas terminal, which was officially inaugurated on 1 September 2022, with a design handling capacity of 65 million TEUs when fully completed in the 2040s. The Singapore terminal is considered a global leader due to its unique combination of automation, digitalization, management and sustainability. The visit also included a meeting with the Maritime Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), dedicated to digital management systems for port communities.
The agreement was drawn up in accordance with the current Port Master Plan and in the general interest of the port, with the aim of consolidating traffic volumes and ensuring stability in the sector, governing technological and organizational innovation processes in an orderly and progressive manner and providing for the involvement of social partners as a central element in the terminal's transformation process.
