The unfinished Cruise Terminal will be restored and completed; the project, which has been stalled for over twenty years, will find a new purpose. New spaces are needed to accommodate cruise ship passengers, because if 3,000 people arrive at the port every day, the city must be ready: welcoming, modern, and hospitable. We can say that starting next year, the change these investments will bring will be tangible.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Matteo Salvini, visiting the Porto Torres Port Authority headquarters yesterday, assured that the Porto Torres maritime port, including the former Lunardi facility, will be the focus of a broad investment program that is redesigning its functions, operational capacity, and strategic role in the Mediterranean. A technical meeting was held between the Meloni government official and the Port Authority President, Domenico Bagalà, to review the progress of ongoing work, projects, and the Authority's future vision for the Northwest Gateway. Representatives of the local League party were also present, from Councilor Ivan Cermelli to regional and local party secretaries Michele Ennas and Simone Giupponi, and former Regional Council President Michele Pais.
As illustrated during the discussion, in recent years, the port of Torre del Greco has embarked on a concrete modernization process, already evident in the results achieved. Over €13 million in investments have been completed, significantly improving passenger service, the quality of the facilities, and the overall efficiency of port operations. New passenger facilities, such as the waiting rooms on the western pier and in the industrial port, along with the redevelopment of the former fish market into a service center, improved lighting, and digital information systems, have resulted in a more modern, functional, and competitive port. These achievements are complemented by an intense ongoing construction season, worth approximately €74 million, which confirms the port's central role in the Port System Authority's infrastructure policies. Among the major projects are the extension of the western breakwater and the resection of the deep-water quay, which are crucial for improving accessibility and safety during maneuvers in the basin. In keeping with the energy transition, the implementation of cold ironing to power ships docked at the dock and the innovative "Centipede" project are also being added. Focus on the industrial areas facing the port.
"There is a project worth over €90 million to reclaim former industrial areas and transform them into new wealth for high-quality tourism and hospitality," the minister emphasized. "Starting next year, the world's leading cruise lines will stop in Porto Torres, with at least three thousand tourists arriving daily for the city." Finally, a stop on the island of Asinara will also be held, "where, in agreement with the president of the park, Gialuca Mureddu, we will bring desalination plants to solve the island's water problem, in addition to projects and resources. Asinara is an extraordinary island that must maintain a balance because its uniqueness lies in the fact that it is protected and not invaded. However, providing a few more services, in terms of hospitality and catering, is necessary, and a good portion of the five billion euros invested in Sardinia will be allocated to guaranteeing a water supply." "I thank Minister Matteo Salvini for this fruitful meeting, which, for this Port System Authority, represents a significant opportunity to enhance a growth path already underway, based on concrete investments, innovation, and strategic vision," explains Domenico Bagalà, president of the Port System Authority of the Sardinian Sea. "Porto Torres today presents itself as a port undergoing a transformation, ready to strengthen its role in the national and Mediterranean system, contributing to the economic and employment development of the region through logistics, energy, high-quality cruises, yachting, and recreational shipbuilding."