TRIESTE – A new 37.16 MWp photovoltaic plant designed to supply clean energy to the Port of Ravenna.
It is a project developed by Renco, Adriasol and SEP Energia, to be built within the decommissioned industrial area “Ex Sarom”, a surface of over 437,000 square metres owned by the Port System Authority.

The investment, worth a total of 30 million euros, was created within a public–private partnership between Renco and the Ravenna Port Authority. Of this, 7 million are financed through PNRR funds dedicated to the energy transition and the development of photovoltaic infrastructure.

The new president of the Authority

The announcement emerging in recent days in Ravenna once again shines the spotlight on the port and the management of the North-Central Adriatic Port System Authority, which is experiencing a period of significant renewal in terms of projects and growth. Only a few weeks ago (on 12 November), Francesco Benevolo was appointed head of the Authority. «Good news. We will continue to work together, just as we have in recent months while he served as Extraordinary Commissioner, to further strengthen the Port of Ravenna as a strategic hub for the Mediterranean,» commented Michele de Pascale, President of the Emilia-Romagna Region.

Dredging updated: larger ships arriving

And the fact that Ravenna is increasingly becoming a strategic hub is demonstrated by ongoing projects and by numbers confirming traffic growth. At the Port of Ravenna, in fact (this is recent news), even larger and taller vessels will now be able to call: a new ordinance issued by the Harbour Master’s Office has updated the “draught limits” along the Candiano Canal and in port basins, following dredging works.
The measure, the result of joint work between the Harbour Master’s Office, the Port System Authority and technical-nautical services, “represents a first step towards a more competitive and modern port”, the Harbour Master’s Office noted. The update, it added, is “an important step forward towards greater capacity and increased safety of calls at the Port of Ravenna”.
Draught limits have been increased in 10 quay sections and 6 turning basins for ships berthed along the Candiano Canal and manoeuvring there, with further work already planned on six additional sections.
«A long-awaited and essential measure for the future of our port and its operations,» commented Alessandro Barattoni, Mayor of Ravenna. «A concrete step that will bring an immediate effect, contributing to increased activity across the entire port system.»

Rail and logistics upgrades

The Candiano Canal itself recently underwent enhancement works, with twelve electrified and centralised tracks, a new electric traction line, fire-fighting systems and environmental protection measures. These are the key elements of the project to upgrade the freight yard on the left bank of the Candiano Canal, aimed at introducing a more efficient and safer rail operating model.
The new configuration will allow trains carrying dangerous goods to be moved out of the current urban area of the port, improving safety and the overall management of rail traffic.
The project is the result of a joint effort by the Emilia-Romagna Region, the Municipality of Ravenna, the North-Central Adriatic Port System Authority and Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI – FS Group), and falls within the framework of the Simplified Logistics Zone, whose strategic core is the Port of Ravenna and which aims to strengthen the competitiveness of the regional logistics and industrial system.
«Thanks to strong cooperation among all institutions, the important project to upgrade the rail yard on the left bank is finally taking shape,» Benevolo himself explained last September, then still serving as Extraordinary Commissioner. «A strategic project which, through the improvement of the rail network, will make the Port of Ravenna an even more competitive port and logistics hub, in the name of real sustainability and an increasingly efficient intermodal network serving goods and the city.»

New works in the port

Alongside the tracks, the project includes a series of complementary works to ensure efficiency and safety: from upgrading service roads, within a fenced private area dedicated exclusively to the port, to the construction of a new drainage and wastewater treatment network, with first-flush tanks and treatment and lifting systems.
A new fire-fighting system is also planned, along with the installation of floodlight towers and the construction of a two-storey technical building, approximately 19 by 10 metres, intended to house plant equipment.

Traffic on the rise

In the first eight months of 2025, the Port of Ravenna handled 17,911,669 tonnes, an increase of 6.0% (over 1 million tonnes more) compared to the same period in 2024.
Imports reached 15,692,541 tonnes and exports 2,219,128 tonnes (+7.3% and −2.4% respectively compared to the first eight months of 2024).
Ship calls totalled 1,728, up 1.2% (21 more).
Dry cargoes (solid bulk, general cargo and unitised cargo), with a throughput of 14,176,239 tonnes, rose by 3.5% (478,000 tonnes more) compared to the same period in 2024.
At the Ravenna Cruise Terminal, 58 cruise calls were recorded (compared with 55 in the same period in 2024), for a total of 187,349 passengers (−3.4%), of whom 160,891 in home port.

2026 set to break cruise records

According to Anna D’Imporzano, General Manager of Ravenna Civitas Cruise Port, a company controlled by Icon Infrastructure and Royal Caribbean Group which manages the passenger terminal, 2026 will be a record year for cruise passengers handled in Ravenna.
The driving force should come precisely from the new terminal: «After a 2025 which, albeit slightly, was affected—as expected—by the construction works for the new maritime station, 2026 is shaping up to be a very positive year for the consolidation and growth of the cruise sector at the Port of Ravenna,» confirms a note from the Romagna Port System Authority.

The new maritime station

The new maritime station, covering an area of approximately 5,000 square metres on two floors, will make the terminal suitable for accommodating 2 ships simultaneously (around 7,000 passengers).
A raised walkway (250 m long and 6 m wide) is also planned.
Outside the station, there will be space for auxiliary services, food kiosks, bicycle rental, tourist office, crew multicultural centre.
Inside the building, spaces will be provided for the Harbour Master’s Office, State Police, Customs Agency and Guardia di Finanza.
The entry into service of the sustainable and technologically advanced facility — together with the works affecting the terminal and surrounding area — will support the handling of 111 cruise calls at the Porto Corsini Passenger Terminal in 2026 (71 in homeport and 40 in transit), corresponding to approximately 390,000 passenger movements (about 383,000 in homeport and around 7,000 in transit). According to forecasts, cruise traffic at the Port of Ravenna in 2026 could therefore increase by around 58% compared to 2025.