TRIESTE – Dredging operations have been completed in the navigable canal of the Po di Levante, and the South Enabler ro-ro vessel, built for Mann Lines and now operating under the Wallenius Sol brand, has sailed out into the Adriatic Sea.
With the completion of the canal dredging project—carried out through the joint efforts of the Veneto Region, Infrastrutture Venete, and the Visentini Shipyard—one of the main arteries of Northern Italy’s inland waterway network has been secured. “The canal, which connects the Marinetta Lagoon and the namesake sea inlet to the Adriatic Sea, is a strategic route for cargo traffic headed to the ports of Mantua and Cremona. The €565,000 project, co-financed by the Region for €200,000, was necessary due to the frequent silting affecting this stretch of waterway, and will ensure navigability in compliance with CEMT Class V standards,” explained Elisa De Berti, Vice President and Regional Minister for Public Works, Infrastructure and Transport in the Veneto Region.
Following its launch last September, the South Enabler—flying the Cypriot flag and built at the Porto Viro facility, measuring 203.4 meters in length and 26.2 meters in beam, equipped with two engines totaling 14,400 kW and featuring a loading capacity of 3,006 lane meters plus 200 cars—is now undergoing final sea trials before entering service.
