Venice, 29 January 2025 – Up until May 2026, the port of Chioggia will host a construction site exceeding 45,000 sq. m. operated by the company Cimolai Technology for the set up two over 100-metre-tall harbour gantry cranes (800 tonne GOLIATH class crane). Once completed, the cranes will be shipped from Chioggia using SPMTs (self-propelled modular transporters) and sent to Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard.
The operation was authorised by the Veneto Sea Port Authority in a decree published just a few hours ago, thus confirming the lagoon ports’ leading position in the project cargo segment, which is also favoured by the ample space available at the rear of the port and the professionalism and expertise of Venice and Chioggia’s port community.
The area earmarked for the assembly activities is located in the Val Da Rio section of the port, in the port yards outside the customs boundary, between the Veritas transfer station (north) and state-owned building no. 950 (south). According to the Port Regulatory Plan, these spaces are to be used for economic activities connected to the port and in 2023 were used by Fincantieri Infrastructure to build metal products that were subsequently shipped to Texas from the Val Da Rio docks.
With the aim of protecting the city centre and revitalising yachting activities, the Authority has issued a permit to the Sporting Club Marina for the construction of a new breakwater barrier at the Le Saline Dock, to replace the existing barrier built at the end of the 19th century to mark the terminal section of the Lombardo Canal. The new structure will measure about 480 metres and the full length will be broken down into seven sections to ensure discontinuity – as requested by the Superintendence for Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Municipality of Venice and the Lagoon. The structure will be made of concrete sheet piling, an excellent solution to ensure it will last in time, with an overlying concrete edge that will be cladded with a recycled, durable and eco-sustainable plastic material. While retaining the size of the previous barrier, the new structure will provide an improved visual impact, thanks also to the attention attached to the cladding, and a greater ability to withstand the elements.
AdSP MAS President Fulvio Lino Di Blasio has declared: ‘The Port of Chioggia is relaunching its activities by attracting investments in two key sectors for its development: on the one hand project cargo and creating synergies with the industrial sector, and on the other by relaunching the tourism sector and, specifically, leisure sailing. These are important signals for a port of call that has suffered in recent years, which nevertheless has some very important specifics to offer, both in terms of cargo traffic and activities related to tourism, leisure and cruising. It is also significant that the permits for the Cimolai shipyard were issued very swiftly, having benefited from the technological innovation offered by the new digital window ‘Autorizzazione unica ZLS’, which makes interactions between the entities involved easier, reducing the time needed to manage paperwork without any additional burdens for companies.’.