Speaker
Description
This contribution arises from the ongoing research project HyperSCAPES: Extreme Infrastructure Projects and New Forms of Urbanity in the Anthropocene, and the MSCA project Integrating Energy and Logistics Hubs: Sustainable Infrastructure Development in Second-tier Mediterranean Ports, both conducted at the Interuniversity Department of Regional and Urban Studies and Planning, Politecnico di Torino. The study investigates the redefinition of spaces, environments, and economies following major European and national investments in energy and logistics infrastructures, with a particular focus on the ports of the Adriatic region.
The EU has allocated 256 million euros to upgrade the Adriatic port infrastructures (Bodewig 2020), and national policies, such as Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), have provided additional resources to accelerate their development (Twrdy and Zanne 2020; Catalano et al. 2022). While most investments prior to 2022 cantered on logistics and commerce, the Russian-Ukrainian War has shifted priorities toward energy infrastructure (Berisha 2023). Current strategies emphasise upgrading networks and facilities, diversifying production and supply systems, and accelerating the transition to renewable energy sources (Falcone et al. 2021). These initiatives have spurred a wave of infrastructural projects, driving significant transformations in both inland and maritime spaces. Drawing upon the case of Ravenna, this contribution examines how changes in energy supply and the transition to renewable sources are reshaping long-established industrial sites into novel energy hubs, and the implications these transformations pose for spatial planning.
The port-city of Ravenna, located in northern Italy, provides a compelling context for this investigation. The port was founded by Enrico Mattei in the 1950s as the centre for offshore gas extraction in the Adriatic Sea. Under the impetus of European and national energy policies, the Port Authority, in partnership with local stakeholders, established a Renewable Energy Community in 2022, that is, an association of public bodies and enterprises to self- produce and manage renewable energy using the existing public grid. Within this framework, the projects underway are acting on three fronts. First, the optimization of the gas supply chain with a new one-billion-euro LNG terminal is planned for the end of this year. Second, the production of renewable energy with one billion euros to build two 300-MWe offshore wind farms, a 100-MWe floating solar farm, and a 50-MWe energy storage facility. Finally, the third goal is the reclamation of industrial sites and the development of carbon capture storage capabilities. ENI has designated a 45-hectare disused industrial site for a solar farm, and another 23-hectare area for soil bio-recovery and industrial waste management; while its one-billion-euro Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project plans to stock CO2 in depleted offshore gas fields. These initiatives are designed to establish Ravenna as the largest green energy hub in the Mediterranean. However, they also carry significant implications for the surrounding environment. The projects alter maritime ecology, reshape the urban landscape with new functions, and introduce complex interactions between energy production, urban uses, and environmental conservation. Moreover, these transformations are taking place in a fragile region: the Adriatic Sea is heavily polluted, and Ravenna has suffered severe flooding in the past two years.
By analysing the energy projects in Ravenna, this paper reflects on three critical issues: 1) The spatialization of EU green energy policies and funding; 2) The emergence of new energy landscapes and their environmental impacts; 3) How local stakeholders address the environmental controversies surrounding these energy projects. These reflections aim to contribute to the discussion of alternative planning approaches and methods for achieving a more sustainable integration of energy infrastructure into the existing landscape.
References
Berisha E (2023) The Adriatic Ionian Region: challenges and opportunities in the time of geopolitical tensions and the rule of EUSAIR. Econ Marche - J Appl Econ 42(1). https://doi.org/10.57638/1120-9593AIREGION
Bodewig K (2020) Shaping the Future Policies of the European Maritime Space: Motorways of the Sea Detailed Implementation Plan of the European Coordinator. European Union, Bruxelles
Catalano G, Di Matteo MT, Ciferri D, Lembo M (2022) Investimenti e Riforme del PNRR per la Portualità. Assoporti, Rome
Falcone PM, Imbert E, Sica E, Morone P (2021) Towards a bioenergy transition in Italy? Exploring regional stakeholder perspectives towards the Gela and Porto Marghera biorefineries. Energy Res Soc Sci 80:102238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2021.102238
Twrdy E, Zanne M (2020) Improvement of the sustainability of ports logistics by the development of innovative green infrastructure solutions. Transp Res Procedia 45:539–546. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trpro.2020.03.059
| Keywords | energy projects; urban and landscape transformations; infrastructures; port-cities; Adriatic Region |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | No |
