LSCT: the ideal gateway for the Italian and south European markets

La Spezia Container Terminal (LSCT) is the main terminal at the Port of La Spezia. LSCT, Italy’s first privately-run terminal, was established in the early 1970s and specialises in the handling of containerised cargo, with a strong focus on rail and intermodal transport.

LSCT is one of Italy’s main gateways for container traffic, with a handling capacity of 1.4 million TEUs. The terminal has 986 metres of quay dedicated to containers, 1,390 metres of general cargo quay, a water depth of 15 metres and a storage capacity of 28,000 TEUs, ensuring efficient operations and high-quality services.

The terminal’s core business is the handling of containerised cargo. In addition to this, it manages break bulk and project cargo, as well as providing value-added services such as the loading and unloading of containers at the terminal, storage services, and the maintenance and repair of both refrigerated and standard containers.

The growth in volumes, combined with the desire to respond effectively to market needs, has led the Contship Group to draw up an ambitious investment plan, which will see the terminal modernised over the coming years.

Among the main projects planned is the development of the new Ravano Terminal, a strategic project that will help strengthen LSCT’s role as the Southern Gateway for the Italian and Southern European markets. The plan includes the expansion of operational areas, the modernisation of the infrastructure at Molo Fornelli, the upgrading of the rail system with the construction of five new tracks, and the introduction of cold ironing – a solution that will significantly reduce CO₂ emissions. The project will also increase the terminal’s operational capacity, improve the efficiency of logistics flows and enable it to accommodate the latest generation of ULCVs (Ultra Large Container Vessels), thanks to infrastructure designed to facilitate the transition to semi-automated solutions and even more efficient intermodal connections.

Customers and markets served

The LSCT terminal enables customers to access the markets of Northern Italy and Central and Southern Europe, capitalising on its strategic location and numerous deep-sea services, which follow the main import-export shipping routes and connect the Mediterranean with Asia and the Americas.

La Spezia Container Terminal counts amongst its customers all the major shipping companies, including those belonging to the leading shipping alliances (Gemini Cooperation, Premier Alliance and Ocean Alliance), as well as MSC, which operates an independent network. Collectively, these operators account for approximately 80–85 per cent of the cargo capacity utilised on the main east-west container shipping routes

The terminal’s catchment area comprises a national catchment area covering central and northern Italy; at an international level, the catchment area extends as far as central and southern Europe (Austria, Switzerland and Germany), thanks to the network of high-frequency rail services available at Rail Hub Milano (RHM), and managed by Hannibal, the Contship Group’s multimodal transport operator.

Thanks to this integrated intermodal system, LSCT complements its role as a national gateway with a service dedicated to markets beyond the Alps, contributing to the development of the Southern Gateway – an efficient solution for accessing the markets of central and southern Europe as an alternative to the traditional ports of Northern Europe.

Connections and infrastructures

Road connections

LSCT is connected to the national motorway network via the A12, one of Italy’s main motorways, which runs from Genoa along the entire Ligurian coast until it reaches Tuscany and Lazio.

Another key motorway junction, vital for the development of the central and northern markets, is the A15 motorway, which, by connecting to the A1, provides quick access to Emilia-Romagna and the other regions of northern Italy.

The railway: LSCT’s flagship

The factor that gives LSCT the greatest cause for pride and its competitive edge is its rail connectivity. La Spezia Container Terminal operates over 150 trains a week to destinations in Italy and across Europe.

One of the most important links is the service that connects La Spezia to the Rail Hub Milano in Melzo several times a day. The service, operated by Hannibal – the Multimodal Transport Operator (MTO) of the Contship Italia Group – acts as a link between the port and the group’s intermodal hub, enabling synergies and further connections to Northern European markets

Further rail connections from La Spezia provide access to the intermodal centres in Melzo, Modena, Padua and Ravenna, thereby effectively serving the areas and industrial districts surrounding these hubs.

Thanks to this state-of-the-art rail network, LSCT remains one of the Italian container terminals with the strongest intermodal focus, recording a rail share that peaks at 35 per cent of gateway traffic (excluding transhipment), demonstrating the high level of rail usage for inland transport and a development trajectory that allows us to look optimistically towards ambitious growth targets, aiming to reach a 50 per cent share of volumes handled by rail.

Quayside equipment

Quay operations at the LSCT terminal take place across two distinct areas: the Fornelli East Quay and the Fornelli West Quay. This configuration enables the simultaneous berthing of two 14,000 TEU vessels (the standard capacity of vessels operating on the Asia-Med route).

Fornelli East Quay is considered the terminal’s main quay: it features a greater draught and state-of-the-art ship-to-shore (STS) cranes, capable of handling the latest generation of vessels, reaching the 23rd row of containers and ensuring fast and safe operations.

A further six STS cranes are positioned along the west quay. Of these, four are capable of operating on 20 rows of containers and two on 18 rows.Cargo handling operations take place along the quays at Molo Fornelli East and Molo Fornelli West. With a handling capacity of 1.4 million TEUs per year, 986 metres of full-container quay, 1,390 metres of general cargo quay, a draught of 15 metres and a storage capacity of 28,000 TEUs, LSCT is able to efficiently handle large vessels, including UCLVs, and international traffic flows.

Customers who choose La Spezia Container Terminal – whether shipping lines, freight forwarders, shippers or consignees – know they can rely on an efficient, strategically located terminal equipped with all the infrastructure and connections necessary for managing a modern supply chain; but above all, they know they can count on a highly professional team that combines decades of experience with a strong drive for innovation, with the aim of offering a service of excellence in support of the Italian and European logistics and industrial sectors.