MSC is in talks to take over the industrial site formerly used by Finnish maritime equipment manufacturer Wärtsilä in the port of Trieste. The shipping giant claimed it wants to use the area to build 1,000 rail freight wagons every year. Moreover, it seems as if the company wants to launch the production of rail bogies as well, with an estimated annual production of 3,000 items.
The takeover of the Wärtsilä area was brought forward by MSC at the end of February. Nearly a month later, the company presented its plan to turn it into a rail rolling stock manufacturing hub. In the most recent meetings with the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region and the Ministry of Made in Italy (MIMIT), MSC said it’s ready to use the facility to produce rail bogies, according to Italian media AdriaPorts.
Friuli Venezia Giulia Region showed its support
The Region said it is ready to accommodate MSC’s demands as this takeover might save the jobs of the 300 people working for Wärtsilä. These demands include a railway connection to the site, help in training the employees and, most importantly, the expansion of the Free Port area, where users benefit from special conditions for both import, export and transit operations, customs procedures and fiscal regime.
For example, the Region said it will also in the initiative Coselag, a local consortium in charge of the infrastructure that serves the area. During the latest meeting, held on 27 March, the parties highlighted the importance of acting quickly, even though a clear timetable does not seem to be available yet. For its part, MSC said it can be ready to start full-regime operations in three years. The following steps should be unveiled during the next meetings between MSC, the Region and the MIMIT scheduled for 9 and 23 April 2024.
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