The new president of the Adsp sees for Marghera a future as a key node for decarbonized energy logistics. “Maximum attention to the projects on the Access Channel to the Maritime Station, on the dredging of the Malamocco-Marghera Canal and on the Canale Nord cruise terminal”
Venice – “Venice is its port.” This is how the press conference began in which Matteo Gasparato introduced himself in his new role as president of the Autorità di sistema portuale del Mare Adriatico settentrionale. The choice of location is not random: Palazzo Ducale, to recall the millennial link between Venice and its port, sending the message of wanting to put port activities “at the center of a shared vision of development.”
Gasparato recalled the relevance of the commissioner’s works on which the agenda will focus. In this sense, after the recent favorable opinion from the Via Commission for the new sediment disposal site along the Malamocco-Marghera Canal (an 82-million-euro project extending over 46 hectares, with an operational horizon of at least 15 years and the delivery of the finished work scheduled for July 2027), “maximum attention will be paid to the projects on the Access Channel to the Vittorio Emanuele Maritime Station (46 million for the berthing of 70,000-ton ships), on the dredging of the Malamocco-Marghera Canal (138 million with start scheduled for October 2026 and two years of work) and on the Canale Nord cruise terminal (a 100-million investment to create two berths for 100,000-ton ships), destined to significantly reshape the layout of the port’s accessibility and cruise and commercial offerings.”
Among the most significant development prospects is the future of Porto Marghera, called to also become a new-generation energy hub. After a century of a central role in oil supply, the area is poised to lead the transition towards green hydrogen. The idea is to make it a key node for decarbonized energy logistics, also through future connections with offshore terminals for green ammonia. Without forgetting containers, with “the first functional phase, worth 189 million euros, currently underway, which will allow the commissioning of the first berths and the first operational surfaces by 2026. But Montesyndial is not only a port work: it is an urban and industrial regeneration project, transforming an area historically marked by basic chemistry. For the overall completion of the intervention, an additional 187 million euros are needed, of which 108 for public works.”
Regarding planning, Gasparato also announced that within twelve months the new Documento di pianificazione strategica di sistema (Dpss), built together with the Municipality and the Region, will be brought for approval. Ample space will be given to works and infrastructure dedicated to the development of intermodality and major infrastructural connections: the ongoing projects on the railway platform, on the railway bridge, on via dell’Elettricità and on the Chimica node.
The nerve of the relationship between the city and its port remains exposed. The president emphasized that the Adsp will initiate, in collaboration with Iuav, a research and design process to redesign the vision of the waterfront. “In 2019,” Gasparato said, “cruises had reached the threshold of 1.6 million passengers, then scaled back by a decree.
Goods have continued to grow, reaching about 25 million tons per year. The port sector has resumed competing with tourism for significant shares of economic value and employment benefits. The debate has thus shifted back from the “if” to the “how” of making the port and the lagoon compatible. In this context lies the offshore terminal project, which today represents one of the main strategic prospects for the future of the Venetian port, while ensuring the protection of a unique ecosystem in the world and the continuity of port activities.” The deadline for the submission of feasibility projects is set for July 31, 2026, the work of the judging committee must be completed by October 9, 2026, and the proclamation of the winner is scheduled for November 20, 2026.
There is also a mention of Chioggia, which Gasparato defined as strategic, announcing the intention to open a permanent office of the Port Authority in the area, to “build a more direct and daily relationship with operators, institutions, and the local community, overcoming any logic of marginality.”
“In summary – concluded Gasparato – we want a port that once again becomes a protagonist and engine of the future. A port that does not close, but opens. That does not undergo change, but leads it. That does not chase the future, but builds it. This is the commitment I undertake and the pact I want to sign with the territory.”
