Today is one of the days that marks the history of the port of Livorno having been symbolically laid the first stone of the construction site for the construction of maritime works and dredging of the Darsena Europa, the container terminal that will be built at the shoulders of the Darsena Toscana Terminal, with works that in March 2022 have been entrusted to the temporary consortium of companies formed by the by Società Italiana Dragaggi, Fincantieri Infrastructure Maritime Works, Sales and Fincosit ( of 24 March 2022).

The expected duration of the works is five years. For maritime works, the construction of a breakwater is planned 4.6 km outer shell consisting of the new breakwater (North Dam) and the new Meloria Dam in the inner circle (while the old one will be demolished). A new internal dams for 2.3 kilometres, to delimit the new (130 hectares) which will be added to those already (from 70 hectares). The dredging interventions will be aimed at the basement of new works, the in-depth study of of the seabed of the access channel and the construction of the basins and of the internal docks.

The planned investment, including works, security expenses and other charges, has reached the figure of 550 million euros, one hundred million in addition to the original amount, an increase due in part to the decision of the commissioner structure to amend the project, providing for the expansion of the reclaimed tank of the future ro-ro terminal, which is the second phase of the project, with the aim of allowing it to fully contain the 17 million cubic metres of sediment resulting from the dredging. Also the consolidation of the first reclaimed area (work of about 50 million euros) and environmental requirements established during the EIA phase have affected the final cost of the maxi work, in addition to the revision of prices, which will have to be covered, at least in part, by the economic framework of the work.

The ceremony for the laying of the foundation stone was attended by the Extraordinary Commissioner of the Port System Authority of the Northern Tyrrhenian Sea and the Darsena Europa project, Luciano Guerrieri, the president of the Tuscany Region, Eugenio Giani, the mayor of Livorno, Luca Salvetti, the prefect Giancarlo Dionisi and the president of the Chamber of Commerce, Riccardo Breda.