On July 15, 2024, the Northern Tyrrhenian Sea Port System Authority announced that the European Investment Bank had signed a financing agreement worth ninety million euros to support the modernization and expansion of the Port of Livorno. These resources are allocated to the construction of the new Darsena Europa container terminal. The planned interventions include the construction of new breakwaters, dredging operations, the creation of a sediment containment area, and the construction of a new access channel to the port terminals.
The Authority specifies that in addition to improving the operational efficiency and safety of the port, these infrastructure interventions will increase the resilience of the Port of Livorno to future climatic events, such as rising sea levels. In fact, the construction of a sand bypass system to replenish the sandy coastline north of the Arno river mouth will help stabilize the shoreline.
With this financing, the EIB's total support for Italian ports exceeds one and a half billion euros, consolidating the bank's position as the main financier of Italian port authorities. The president of the Authority, Luciano Guerrieri, stated that "the agreement not only demonstrates the closeness of the main community financial institution to the development of the Tuscan port but also highlights the strategic value of Darsena Europa, a value that the Government and the Tuscany Region have recognized by giving full political and financial support to its realization."
