Venice, April 30, 2025 – The Cruise Commissioner in Venice and APV Investments S.p.A. – an in-house company of the AdSPMAS – have signed the purchase contract from ‘Società Intermodale Marghera s.r.l.’ for the area located on the North Canal North Bank – this is in addition to the area already purchased last October by the Northern Adriatic Sea Port System Authority. The area, covering approximately 10 hectares and including the existing buildings, was identified by the Government with Legislative Decree no. 103/2021 and subsequent implementing decrees, to accommodate the new passenger terminal, with all related services, and two temporary berths for cruise ships up to 300 metres in length, which will access the Malamocco-Marghera Canal. The land, located to macro-island 1 of the Porto Marghera industrial zone, was acquired at a total cost of approximately €16 million.

Work has begun and is currently underway to install electrical systems for the new cruise terminal and docks, allowing cruise ships moored at the two berths to be powered without running their engines. This initial project, currently underway, is part of the strategy to reduce atmospheric emissions and develop cold ironing, and has been awarded to NBI S.p.A. of the Webuild Group S.p.A. group, for €18.5 million, financed through the Next Generation EU fund – PNRR for 29 million euros.

The Cruise Commissioner has also completed the final project for the new passenger terminal and two wharves. The project was drafted by a group of professionals led by the Consortium for Maritime Works Engineering (CIOOMM), consisting of Technital S.p.A. of Verona and Modimar S.r.l. of Rome. The design will be submitted to the National Environmental Impact Assessment Commission at the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security within the next week. The future cruise terminal, designed on two levels, will occupy approximately 10,000 square metres and will be equipped with state-of-the-art systems for energy production from renewable sources. The terminal will also include arrivals lounges and baggage claim, serving the two ships that will dock at the new wharves. Environmental safety measures are also planned for the area, continuing the section already completed by the Department of Public Works. The project will also include the creation of a border crossing, complete with offices for law enforcement and control, protected pedestrian traffic, and dedicated roads for heavy vehicles used to refuel ships. The estimated cost of the work in this project phase is over €67 million, and the new passenger terminal and docks are expected to be fully operational for the 2028 cruise season.

Furthermore, a parking lot primarily serving cruise ship traffic is planned for the portion of the area surveyed by APVI, as directed by ADSPMAS, covering approximately 40,000 square metres. This parking lot has also been planned to the final project stage by the CIOOMM Consortium and will be subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) along with the design for the new passenger terminal and docks.

“The start of work on the electrification systems for the new passenger terminal and docks and the completion of the land purchase allows us to continue implementing Decree 103/2021, as established by the Government, in agreement with the Region, following the path to building the diffused wharves necessary to relaunch cruise activity in Venice and Chioggia,” stated Fulvio Lino Di Blasio, Special Commissioner for Cruises in Venice and President of AdSPMAS. “Meanwhile, in full compliance with procedure, the planning for the construction of the new passenger terminal and wharves may be subjected to an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Evaluation of the Impact Assessment (VINAC), so as to identify improvements that minimize environmental impacts—among which we can already include the implementation of cold ironing—while still ensuring the feasibility of the works in compliance with the regulatory provisions.”