(Xinhua)The Ligurian ports, in particular the system that includes the ports of Genoa and Savona, are at the center of a strong interest from China. And on December 12, the new container terminal in Vado Ligure will be launched, which is managed by a company with a strong Chinese presence and become one of the most capable terminals in Europe.

The container terminal, is managed by APM Terminals Vado, a company in which the Maersk group APM Terminals holds 50.1%, with the remaining 49.4% divided between two Chinese actors of the highest level. 40% is from Cosco, the Chinese state giant that also controls the port of Piraeus in Athens, while 9.9% is from Qingdao Port International, the group that controls among others the eponymous port of Qingdao, in the north east of China.

The transaction, valued at 53.3 million euros for Cosco and 15 million euros for Qingdao Port International, was closed in 2016 and since then the two Chinese actors together with the Danish giant are working to develop the terminal, which will be able to accommodate ships of any size and capacity, including large last-generation container ships. A factor that, together with the large availability of covered warehouses in the vicinity, should guarantee an important role in the exchange of goods.

Advanced Technology

The new container terminal will be one of the most technologically advanced in the Mediterranean, with a 700-meter quay and a fully automated yard with the staff employed to drive quay cranes and straddle carriers. At the moment, however, APM Terminals Vado Ligure and Reefer Terminal (a specialized company and leader in the movement of refrigerated goods and in particular in the traffic of fruit) already have around 200 employees, a number that is expected to grow with the development of the new platform.