Webuild Inaugurates State-of-the-Art Segment Production Facility in Southern Italy

Webuild Inaugurates State-of-the-Art Segment Production Facility in Southern Italy

(IN BRIEF) Webuild has inaugurated Roboplant 2, a state-of-the-art facility in Bovino, Southern Italy, dedicated to producing prefabricated segments for tunnel lining. The plant, part of the Naples-Bari high-speed railway project, features advanced automation capable of producing two segments every seven minutes, boosting productivity by 30% and reducing annual CO2 emissions by 140 tonnes. It joins Webuild’s other facilities in Sicily and will contribute to the construction of over 300 kilometers of high-speed rail. The initiative will create 450 local jobs, enhance sustainability, and reinforce Webuild’s global leadership in underground tunnelling with its extensive fleet of 60 Tunnel Boring Machines.

(PRESS RELEASE) MILAN, 12-Dec-2024 — /EuropaWire/ — Webuild, a global leader in underground infrastructure, has unveiled its newest advanced manufacturing facility in Bovino, a town situated on the border of Campania and Apulia. This cutting-edge factory, named Roboplant 2, is dedicated to producing prefabricated segments essential for tunnel lining, supporting the construction of the Naples-Bari high-speed railway.

Pioneering Efficiency and Sustainability
Roboplant 2 employs a highly automated production process capable of producing two segments every seven minutes, resulting in a 30% productivity increase. The factory is expected to produce over 1 million cubic meters of segments, significantly boosting construction efficiency. Its innovative design not only enhances operational safety but also minimizes environmental impact, cutting annual CO2 emissions by approximately 140 tonnes.

These prefabricated segments are critical components in tunnel construction, forming continuous rings to ensure structural stability. The Bovino facility, equipped with two independent automated lines, will expedite delivery to construction sites while maintaining the highest safety and quality standards.

Expanding a Network of Modern Facilities
Roboplant 2 builds on Webuild’s earlier success with Roboplant 1, the first automated segment production facility launched in Belpasso, Sicily, in 2023. Alongside the Etnaplant facility in Belpasso, these plants have collectively produced 25,000 segments for Sicilian railway projects. Looking ahead, Roboplant 3 is slated to begin operations between 2025 and 2026 in Dittaino, Sicily. Together, these facilities will supply segments for the Palermo-Catania-Messina high-capacity railway.

Across its four facilities, Webuild is expected to create approximately 450 jobs, drawing primarily from local communities. This effort reflects the Group’s commitment to modernizing infrastructure in Southern Italy and fostering regional economic growth.

A Leader in Underground Tunnelling
The Bovino factory will contribute segments for the six Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) excavating the Hirpinia and Orsara tunnels on the Naples-Bari railway. Webuild’s global leadership in tunnelling is reinforced by its vast fleet of 60 TBMs, with 30 dedicated to projects in Southern Italy alone. Currently, the Group is managing 19 projects across the region, involving the construction of over 300 kilometers of high-speed railway lines and employing 7,500 workers, including subcontractors.

Investing in the Future of Italy’s Infrastructure
Webuild’s commitment to innovation extends beyond technology, with initiatives like the “10,000 by 2026” program, aimed at hiring and training 10,000 people in Italy, 80% of whom will be based in the South. These investments underscore the Group’s dedication to sustainable growth, technological advancement, and workforce development, ensuring Italy remains at the forefront of global infrastructure innovation.

Webuild is a global leader in the design and construction of large, complex infrastructure projects in sustainable mobility, hydropower, water treatment, and green buildings. A recognized leader in the water sector, it is present in 50 countries with more than 91,000
people, ranking among the leading international players in Australia, Europe and the United States. In nearly 120 years of applied engineering on more than 3,200 projects, the Group has built 14,140 kilometres of rail and metro lines, 82,533 kilometres of roads and highways, 1,020 kilometres of bridges and viaducts, 3,408 kilometres of tunnels, and 313 dams and hydropower plants. Projects include the expansion of the Panama Canal, the Long Beach International Gateway bridge in California, the Third Bosphorus Bridge in Turkey, the Sydney Metro Northwest skytrain viaduct and bridge, the Kingdom Centre skyscraper in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and metro lines in Copenhagen, Paris, Rome, Milan, Doha and Riyadh. Others under construction include the new Genoa Breakwater, the Brenner Base Tunnel, Line C of Rome’s metro network, the high-capacity railways between Genoa and Milan, and Naples and Bari, the Palermo Catania-Messina high-capacity railway, the Snowy 2.0 hydropower scheme in Australia, and the Trojena dam network for NEOM in Saudi Arabia. As of June 30, 2024, Webuild Group achieved a total backlog of €65 billion, with more than 90% of its construction
backlog related to projects linked to the advancement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As of December 31, 2023, revenues totalled €10 billion. Webuild, subject to the direction and coordination of Salini Costruttori S.p.A., is headquartered in Italy and listed on the Milan stock exchange, Borsa Italiana (WBD; WBD.MI; WBD:IM). Since 2021, it is member of the MIB ESG, the index of publicly listed Italian companies with the best ESG practices.

Media Contacts:

Francesca Romana Chiarano
Senior Manager – Media Relations
Tel. +39 338 247 4827
email: f.chiarano@webuildgroup.com

Francesco Squitieri
Calabria, Campania, Puglia Communications Manager
Tel. +39 335.5494594
email: f.squitieri@webuilditalia.it

Umberto Lucentini
Sicily Communications Manager
Tel. +39 339 2039050
email: u.lucentini@kassar.it

SOURCE: Webuild