VENICE – The port of Venice has defined its future. The ideas competition launched by the North Adriatic Sea Port Authority has reached its conclusion.
According to the Authority itself, «the concept proposal for the preparation of the technical and economic feasibility project» has been identified for what concerns the «berthing points outside the protected waters of the Venice lagoon». In other words: the offshore port.
The procedure will now start from understanding who has been selected, since for now it is only an alphanumeric code, which not even the Authority itself knew to whom it referred, although it is likely that the name of the competition winner will emerge in the coming days.
It will then enter the so-called second phase, that is, the phase in which the «development of concept proposals and technical and economic feasibility projects relating to the construction and management of berthing points outside the protected waters of the Venice lagoon, pursuant to Decree-Law 1 April 2021 no. 45, converted into law on 17 May 2021 no. 75» will take shape.
The commission deemed only one concept proposal valid, which will have nine months to be developed into a project supported by technical and economic feasibility assessments. The final evaluation is scheduled for October 2026. In short, the course is set, but it will take about a year to understand what it will effectively be.
The comment from Venice port community (the consortium bringing together the port’s operators), through its president Davide Calderan, was immediate: «It is certainly excellent news for the future of the port. We are aware that there are obstacles to overcome, such as cargo breakage and management costs, but it is a prospect that can only please the united port community. This means caring about the future of the port of Venice, looking to tomorrow with foresight and, we hope, allowing our economy to have a horizon to look toward, with the awareness that we will not be left alone».
Calderan then continued by stressing that it is necessary, however, to keep attention high on the port as it is today: «Looking to the future is certainly necessary, but it is equally urgent to plan the immediate tomorrow step by step. We cannot in fact imagine reaching the completion of a work in five, ten, fifteen years—whatever time will be needed—without looking at the nearer future. It is necessary as soon as possible that the next port president be put in a position to launch the investments regarding the island of the “Trezze”, the maintenance of the canal connecting Malamocco and Marghera, the maintenance of the Vittorio Emanuele canal, so that operation can be guaranteed at the Marittima, one of the world’s flagships for ship management, and ensure the operability of the northern channel».
Finally, Calderan concluded: «I underline that Venice, before the decree that wiped out cruise traffic, was the fifth port in the world, and the first four were all located in the Caribbean».
