Civitavecchia

Our client
The port of Civitavecchia is situated on the west coast of Italy, approximately 50 km north of Rome. Enel, the largest power company in Italy, needed facilities at the port to receive ships loaded with coal for its power plant. Enel contracted Dravosa, Van Oord's Spanish subsidiary, to expand the port in a joint venture with Sales and Drace.

Our work
The Mediterranean Sea is unpredictable in nature. Conditions can change suddenly, with churning seas and high waves. The coast at Civitavecchia is no exception. That combined with the hard soil, stringent schedule and Italian regulations made project execution a genuine challenge.

Backhoe dredger Razende Bol and bucket dredger Usedom were deployed to excavate a 20 m deep channel into which caissons were placed. Port capacity has now increased, with a new quay wall measuring approximately 350 m.

The result
The port expansion has given the power plant in Civitavecchia the necessary capacity and facilities to accommodate ships.