News of 11 April 2025 – Traffic growth in the first quarter: cargo throughput up by 38%
PORT OF TARANTO, 11 APRIL 2025 – This morning, statistics were published regarding the movements recorded at the Port of Taranto for March and the first quarter of 2025 (link). Specifically, in March, the upward trend observed in February (+69.8%) continued, with an overall traffic increase of +72% compared to 2024. This growth was driven by significant rises in both solid bulk and general cargo. Liquid bulk decreased due to temporary maintenance shutdowns of certain facilities.
First-quarter data for 2025 also show a substantial increase in traffic at the Port of Taranto: from January to March, a total of 1 million more tonnes were handled compared to 2024, marking a +37.6% rise. This growth was bolstered by a 71% increase in solid bulk, largely linked to the steel hub's operations, which have seen a +57.7% rise compared to 2024.
The number of arriving and departing ships saw a slight increase (+6.3%), while container movements continued to decline compared to the same period in 2024, with transhipment activities having ceased for several months. In this context, a five-year review of the San Cataldo Container Terminal concession will commence shortly, in coordination with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, to assess necessary adjustments considering traffic trends but also in consideration of the current national and international scenario and new development opportunities for the Port of Taranto, particularly the Multipurpose Pier.
It is also worth mentioning that the beginning of 2025, in the wake of the end of 2024, showed a small percentage of Ro-Ro traffic from the movement of new vehicles.
Should the first-quarter trends persist, total cargo throughput for 2025 is projected to exceed 16.5 million tonnes, up from 12,105,833 tonnes in 2024. This figure could rise further if the positive trend observed since February continues.
The traffic increase appears to correlate with the resumption of operations at the steelworks, underscoring the significant impact of the steel hub's activities on port movements and the negative effects of its previous downturns. Although the sale process for the Acciaierie d’Italia plant is ongoing, first-quarter figures seem to support the growth forecasts announced by the concessionary company for 2025. Currently, the most significant increases pertain to the handling of raw materials (solid bulk).
Compared to last year, first-quarter data also reveal a more than 100% increase in the movement of wind turbine components.
Traffic volumes are expected to rise further from autumn onwards with the launch of the “Tempa Rossa” project, which anticipates an annual increase of approximately 2 million tonnes in liquid bulk exports.
This development awaits the publication of a decree by the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security, which is expected to confirm the designation of the Port of Taranto as one of the national industrial hubs for floating offshore wind energy.
Implementing activities related to the production, storage, assembly, and launching of components for both floating and fixed offshore wind energy would be a key factor in creating new production and logistics operations at the Port of Taranto, yielding strategic benefits for Italy and the local area in terms of socio-economic and employment opportunities