New Genoa Breakwater: Pergenova Breakwater Consortium lays the second caisson

Works continue in the construction site off Genoa with technical solutions on various fronts

5,000 submerged columns built already on the seabed

1.5 million tonnes of gravel laid in 13 months of non-stop works, meeting complex logistic, geological and weather conditions

Genoa, June 29, 2024 - At a 20-metre-depth, the seabed off the city of Genoa hosts, from today, the second caisson of thenew Genoa breakwater, built by the Pergenova Breakwater consortium, led by Webuild. Just over a year since the first foundation stone was laid, the activities of the construction site of new breakwater continue non-stop on many fronts, with cutting-edge techniques and equipment, in terms of innovation and sustainability, for a very complex project from an engineering perspective.

The caisson is the second one of the overall 90 that will make up the first 4km of the total 6km of the work. It has been constructed on the floating construction sites that have been set up in the port of Vado Ligure. It measures 21.7 metres in height, 40 metres in length and 25 metres in width, weighing 10,000 tonnes. These huge reinforced concrete caissons are as tall as buildings. They will be laid one next to the other upon the submerged base to give a shape to the breakwater.

Concomitantly to the laying of the second caisson and to preparing to submerge the next mega blocks, the Consortium is also continuing to lay gravel to consolidate the breakwater's foundations. As of today, over 1.5 million tonnes of gravel have been laid, and approximately 5,000 submerged columns have been built. For this specific activity, there has been a strengthening of the machinery used, with the use of a large barge, which with the pontoon that is already at work will triplicate production.

Works on the protection barrier of the Vado Ligure construction site continue, which is made of 5 caissons, one next to each other, but smaller compared to the ones that will instead be a part of the main breakwater. Unexploded ordnance activities in deep seawater continue too, in parallel. The construction site uses cutting-edge solutions that respect the sea ecosystem.

The project has been commissioned by theAutorità di Sistema Portuale del Mar Ligure Occidentale(Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority). It will consolidate the role of the Port of Genoa in the Rhine-Alpine Corridor of the TEN-T trans-European transport, to which theTerzo Valico dei Giovi-Genoa Junction Project, also being built by Webuild, also belongs. This will therefore further contribute to the development of Genoa's port system.