As the provisional concession granted to the Spinelli Group by the Autorità di Sistema Portuale del Mar Ligure Occidentale (Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority) approaches its expiry date on 30 June 2025, a request for clarification has arrived from Germany. It is signed by Hapag-Lloyd, which holds a dual interest in the Genoa port: its container ships dock there, and it owns 49 percent of Spinelli’s capital. In a statement, the company confirms its willingness to invest in the Ligurian port, but demands a clear, stable and transparent regulatory framework.
Since 2018, Genoa has been the base for Hapag-Lloyd’s South Europe Region, from which it oversees operations across the entire Mediterranean basin. The company is also one of the main users of the port. In the statement, it notes that “we cannot continue with our plans if a concession we had expected to last until 2056 is now considered to expire as early as next June”. Despite the difficult phase, the group expresses optimism: “we trust in the excellent ongoing cooperation with the Italian Government as a foundation to overcome any misunderstandings, to reactivate the concession and to create the conditions for further traffic growth through Genoa and for increased employment”.
In October 2024, the Council of State annulled Spinelli’s concession for the Genoa Port Terminal, on the grounds that the operator does not comply with the terms of the port master plan, which stipulates mixed traffic, while according to the judges the terminal is predominantly used for container handling. The legal proceedings were initiated by Psa Sech and are still ongoing, as Spinelli has announced an appeal. In the meantime, to avoid interrupting operations, on 13 January 2025 the Port Authority’s Management Committee granted Spinelli a provisional concession until 30 June, with the obligation to focus mainly on non-container traffic. The Genoa public prosecutor’s office has also opened a file concerning unlawful occupation of the area, while other operators – including Grimaldi and Psa – are calling for the terminal to be put back out to tender.
