Contship Italia wants to increase the handling capacity of its La Spezia Container Terminal (LSCT) and grow the percentage of transport by rail as it unveiled a raft of new initiatives aimed at enhancing its national and international developments.

The Italian container terminal operator ann.unced its substantial investments planned for LSCT, the company’s main container terminal in the country, including the development project at the Ravano terminal for a new 524-metre length quay equipped with five STS cranes 25 rows across.

Contship said it will also improve LSCT's capability to welcome ULCC with higher tonnage with the support of the new draft available in Fornelli East (-15 m) and Fornelli West (-14 m), the latest to be officially completed by the Port Authority in December 2020.

"The first phase of LSCT aims to add 300,000 TEUs to the current handling capacity and increase the share of rail transport from the current 32% to 40% of the modal split," Contship Italia said. 

Strengthened Container Terminal capabilities

The Italian container terminal operator said this improvement will immediately support LSCT’s customers with an average additional vessel capacity of 300/400 TEU per call.

Some 15 years after the announcement of the concession agreement for Eurogate Tanger (TC2), the new Tanger Alliance terminal (TC3) in Tanger Med 2 will also commence commercial operations in January 2021 — deploying eight STS cranes on 800-metre quay and 36 hectares yards.

Once completed, the terminal handling capacity will be 1.5 million TEUs.

Meanwhile, more than 1.8 million TEU new handling capacity, including gateway and transhipment capabilities, which are expected to be offered to global carriers by the end of 2024.

Intermodal transport projected to reach 50% maritime and 50% continental/intra-EU trade by end-2023.

Intermodal Services

Sogemar, the intermodal-logistics and customs arm of the Group noted that it will collaborate with its sister company Eurogate Intermodal to build and promote European network services.

Rail Hub Milano (Melzo), the most advanced private Intermodal hub in Italy, in 2019 already achieved the target of 50% handling operations with continental traffic (swap bodies, 45 feet intermodal units and semitrailers) and established itself as the first reliable Italian rail platform for China’s new Belt-Road Initiative.

Hannibal, the Group’s MTO, with over 60 trains/week connecting Genoa, La Spezia and Ravenna with Melzo, Dinazzano and Padua, will continue to support the expected modal shift in the Italian port activities, expanding further to landlocked markets such as Switzerland, Southern Germany, and Austria.