La Sardinia has an added value generated by the'Sea economy equal to 2,4 billion euros (over 7% of the total added value of the region) and boasts the presence of almost 2.700 companies in the logistics-port supply chain. This is what emerges from the in-depth study dedicated to the Island in the eleventh edition of the Report on the Economy of the Sea edited by Srm – Studies and Research for the South of Italy Intesa Sanpaolo, previewed this morning in Cagliari at the multifunctional terminal of Molo Ichnusa of the Port System Authority of the Sardinian Sea.
According to the analysis illustrated by Alessandro Panaro, director of studies at Srm, Sardinian ports are a driving force for trade and tourism: 91% of the region's trade travels by sea, while the passenger traffic is growing by 10% and cruises are increasing by 70%.
Sardinia: ports and logistics
I ports of Sardinia represent 9% of the national total for both tons of goods and passengers.” If 2023 was affected by the geopolitical situation for the commercial segment (41 million tons equal to -6,7%), the first half of 2024 confirmed a great capacity for reaction with 21,2 million tons of goods managed, equal to +6,2%”, explains the report which also speaks of “record numbers for passenger traffic in 2023 with 6,6 million (+10,2%), of which 434 thousand cruise passengers”.
The first 6 months of 2024 record the best result ever with 2,3 million passengers (+10%). The airport of Cagliari It is the main commercial port of Sardinia with 29,1 million tons in 2023 and the Italian energy hub: second port for liquid bulk handling. Cagliari is also the first cruise port of the island with 334 thousand passengers in 2023 and still a +76,5% in the first 6 months of 2024.
Sustainable strategy and development
Sardinia is a candidate to become hub in the South-West Mediterranean for sustainable bunkering (refueling), with the supply of LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) to ships. To this end, an LNG storage, regasification and distribution plant has been operational since 2022 in the port of Oristano and other depots on the island and a regasification terminal in Porto Torres are in the planning stage. The port of Cagliari can also offer, in addition to traditional naval fuels, the new ecological fuel oil with very low sulphur content, the so-called ultra-low-sulphur marine fuel oil (Ulsfo). Significant resources have been allocated by the National Complementary Plan to implement cold ironing (electrification of the docks in the ports of the Port System Authority of Sardinia, amounting to 70,5 million euros).
To increase its cargo handling capacity, the port is carrying out the project of “multipurpose hub” in the Porto Canale of Cagliari dedicated to containers, commercial traffic (new Ro-Ro terminal), bulk handling (infrastructure of the existing terminal), recreational boating shipbuilding and also industrial settlements in Zes and enclosed Customs Free Zone. Over 1.000 applications have been submitted in Sardinia to access the tax credit in the Zes area. Many of the priority sectors of the Single Zes, such as agri-food, fall within Sardinia's productive vocations. The recreational boating sector is strategic: Sardinia is the third Italian region in terms of number of berths and second in terms of berths over 24 meters, after Liguria.
Massimo Deiana, President of the Port System Authority of the Sardinian Sea comments: “The encouraging data recalled in the latest report on the Economy of the Sea are, without a doubt, supported by the acclaimed exceptional performance of the Sardinian Port System. Maritime ports that, with their different vocation, driven by infrastructural investments amounting to over 600 million euros in the five-year period 2024 – 2029, contribute to generating that proven propulsive thrust to the regional and national maritime sector that Srm has always well valorized in the context of the numerous focuses on the sector”.
Intesa Sanpaolo for the blue economy
Intesa Sanpaolo has made available specialist consultancy and financial solutions for investments in the sector through its Naval Desk, with the aim of promoting the growth and development of Italian companies active in this strategic area. The bank also has reconfirmed the commitment for an amount of 2,4 billion of euros reserved for Sardinian businesses thanks to Your Future is Our Business, the Intesa Sanpaolo program that provides 120 billion euros at a national level until 2026. The initiative is part of the group's actions to support the objectives set by the Pnrr, which provides for a total of over 410 billion euros of investments, as announced by CEO Carlo Messina. The main areas are three: energy transition, with solutions for energy saving and production; foreign development and new markets, with an eye on the international growth of "made in Italy"; and digital progress and security, with advanced tools for protection from cyber risks.
Stefano Cappellari, Regional Director of Piedmont North, Valle d'Aosta and Sardinia Intesa Sanpaolo: “We offer businesses specialized advice that goes beyond financing. Our experts accompany companies in facing the challenges of a constantly evolving market, helping them seize new growth opportunities. In Sardinia, we have made 2,4 billion euros available by 2026, in particular for the marine economy and tourism, where we have launched initiatives to create local supply chains and promote 'made in Sardinia'. Furthermore, in the agri-food sector, we have activated financing with durations of up to 30 years to support agricultural companies in the transition to more sustainable and innovative models”.
