“Baker Hughes is here because there is the port: the great risk we are running is that, if the port is not upgraded, Baker Hughes will go elsewhere.” The port Bruno Pisano, president of the Eastern Ligurian Sea Authority, refers to is that of Marina di Carrara, which falls under his jurisdiction and which, while waiting (for a long time) for the approval of the new port master plan, is being questioned due to controversies over coastal erosion that the expansion could cause.
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“The port expansion and coastal erosion are two different issues,” Pisano emphasizes, “the first is needed for the development of industry, boating, traffic, and tourism, the second is a problem affecting many coasts, caused by many variables – just think that every half centimeter rise in sea level takes away one meter of coast – and it must be addressed comprehensively, as the Tuscany Region’s masterplan is trying to do. But erosion should not be opposed to the growth of the port.”
To refute the widespread alarms, the Port Authority has conducted a scientific study (currently confidential) which it sent to the Higher Council of Public Works, called to give the final approval to the port master plan. In recent months, the body has made a long series of observations on the project, for which a technical table was established at the Ministry of Infrastructure. “We continue to work but the process will be long: it is difficult to predict the conclusion,” Pisano adds. Meanwhile, the Authority is trying to address environmental criticalities: “In 2026 we have tools available that allow us to measure environmental impact and intervene,” says the president, “so much so that we have already scheduled for next winter a dredging intervention of the seabed and reuse of sand for beach nourishment, an intervention to be carried out within the framework of the regional masterplan.”
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The future master plan, intended to replace the current one dating back to 1981, provides for a new pier serving commercial traffic, an extension of the existing breakwater pier, a reconfiguration of the functions of the different areas, the allocation of the Taliercio quay to cruises, and a public travel lift which, strongly requested by the territory, represents the priority to be realized for the development of boating. The works are worth more than 400 million euros in total.
“The development of the Marina di Carrara port is a precondition for the growth of the entire Apuan territory,” warns Carlo Freni, vice president of Confindustria Centro e Costa and president of the Massa-Carrara delegation. “The port is saturated,” adds the entrepreneur, “and the master plan is on standby. We have highlighted some critical issues, for example regarding the choice to host cruises: spaces are limited and if cruise ships arrive there will be less space for commercial traffic. Even now many entrepreneurs store goods outside the port area, which translates into higher costs and loss of competitiveness. We trust in being involved in the discussion.”
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