39.2 million tonnes of goods and traffic up in almost all sectors in Livorno, Piombino and Elba last year. The picture presented by the Port Network Authority’s Statistics Office shows that the North Tyrrhenian ports are in good health.
In 2024, traffic volumes in Livorno, Piombino and Elba’s ports were up 1.7% on the previous year. Liquid bulk (+5.2%), container traffic (+2.6% in terms of tonnage), general cargo (+7.3%) and passengers (10.7 million, +5%) all performed well.
Ro-Ro traffic remained substantially stable in terms of tonnage (0%). However, there was a 5.6% increase in the number of ro-ro units being handled. There was a downturn in dry bulk (-2.3%) and containers (-0.9% in TUEs). There was a slump in new car traffic, with volumes down 9.4% year-on-year (498,948 vehicles handled), due to the difficult economic situation.
Livorno handled 29.4 million tonnes of goods in 2024, 3% less than the over 30 million tonnes in 2023. This is due exclusively to the drop in liquid bulk, which fell by 25% year-to-year, to 4.7 million tonnes. This sector has suffered greatly from the closure of the old ENI refinery and its current transformation into a biorefinery.
As mentioned above, containers (in TEUs) were down by 0.9% year-on-year, to 663,000 TEUs. Full containers were up (+1.9%, to 446,822 TEUs), empty containers were down (-9%, to 140,502 TEUs). Transhipment traffic accounted for 11.5% of the total, with 76 thousand containers handled (the same volume as the previous year).
Ro-Ro traffic was up 3.8%. 485,190 units were handled, 17,878 more than the 467,312 in 2023.
Likewise, there was a growth in breakbulk (+7.5%, to 1.97 million tonnes of cargo) and ferries (+8.1%, to 3.309 million passengers, a new historical record in the port). While the cruise sector recorded an even more substantial increase: 864,133 cruise passengers embarked and disembarked from the port of Livorno in 2024, 23.2% more than in 2023. Compared to 2023, homeport (disembarking/embarking) cruise passengers quintupled to 53,619 in 2024
Piombino handled 6.8 million tonnes of goods in 2024, 34% more than in 2023. Ro-Ro traffic increased by 10.7%, to 94,000 units. Liquid bulk skyrocketed +247%, to 2,783,704 tonnes, while ferry passengers remained substantially stable. On the other hand, there was a downturn in the number of both cruise passengers (almost 17 thousand, 20.5% less year-on-year) and private vehicles (-3%, to 1.013 million).
The Elban ports of Portoferraio, Rio Marina and Cavo handled 2.9 million tonnes of goods, 5.3% less than 2023. A total of 93,340 vehicles were handled, 10.6% more than the 84,419 in 2023.
3.18 million ferry passengers transited along the quays of the island’s ports, 1.1% more than in 2023. Cruise passengers totalled 23.673, 10.3% more than the 21,471 the previous year.
“2024’s results are comforting,” said PNA President Luciano Guerrieri.
“If we exclude new cars, a sector that is currently in difficulty, and liquid bulk, which, in Livorno, has dropped by 25% due to the Eni refinery conversion process, Livorno performed well in all its traffic sectors, including containers, which despite registering 0.9% less, recorded a significant growth in the number of full containers,” he added, highlighting the positive trend in this type of traffic compared to the first part of the year and the growth prospects for 2025 with the acquisition of the important new link services operated by the Gemini alliance.
According to Mr. Guerrieri, Piombino’s performance is also worthy of note. Despite a clear downturn in the number of cruise passengers, it nevertheless closed the year on a positive note, with a increase in the amount of goods handled (thanks mainly to triple-digit growth in liquid bulk, a sector driven by regasification vessel operations) and ro-ro traffic.
Download the Network ports’ statistics
Download Livorno port’s statistics
Download Piombino port’s statistics
Download the Elban ports’ statistics
Translation by Giles Foster
