The First Suezmax Oil Tanker Docked at the SIOT Marine Terminal

Thanks to the ongoing revamping works commissioned by SIOT to Fincantieri, the Marine Terminal of the Società Italiana per l’Oleodotto Transalpino S.p.A. (SIOT) was able to berth its first “Suezmax”-sized oil tanker. The vessel, Kriti Future, docked at SIOT’s Pier 1 on May 26, 2025, at 3:36 PM.
“Suezmax” is a naval architecture term used to define the maximum size of ships capable of transiting the Suez Canal while fully loaded. Typically, a Suezmax vessel has a deadweight of around 160,000 tons, a beam of approximately 48 meters, and a maximum draft of 20.1 meters.
Kriti Future, built in 2022, sails under the Greek flag and is registered in the port of Piraeus.
The berthing of a “Suezmax” tanker highlights the increased operational capabilities of the terminal, thanks to the pier remediation being carried out by Fincantieri on behalf of SIOT. The project is fully financed by the Società Italiana per l’Oleodotto Transalpino, with an investment of over 44 million euros.

APPROVATO DALL’ASSEMBLEA DEI SOCI IL BILANCIO 2023

Il 2023 si è chiuso con 36,7 milioni di tonnellate di greggio sbarcato, 395 petroliere al Terminale Marino, nuove assunzioni e zero incidenti.

Nei primi cinque mesi del 2024 traffici in aumento del 13,2%, arrivo della 22millesima nave al Terminale Marino e superamento del traguardo di 1,7 miliardi di tonnellate di greggio trasportato.

Trieste, 19 giugno 2024 – L’Assemblea dei Soci di SIOT, Società Italiana per l’Oleodotto Transalpino, ha approvato il Bilancio di esercizio 2023 dell’azienda che si è chiuso con un risultato positivo di 3 milioni di euro; nel 2023 il greggio sbarcato dalle 395 petroliere che hanno attraccato al Terminale Marino si è attestato a 36,7 milioni di tonnellate.

I consumi petroliferi nei Paesi serviti dall’Oleodotto Transalpino nel 2023 sono risultati sostanzialmente stabili ma i primi cinque mesi del 2024 hanno evidenziato un incremento del 13,2% rispetto allo stesso periodo dell’anno precedente riguardo ai quantitativi di greggio trasportati

SIOT-TAL nel corso del 2023 ha continuato a dedicare un notevole impegno al perseguimento degli obiettivi relativi alla sicurezza e alla tutela ambientale, anche attraverso un continuo programma di addestramento e di sensibilizzazione del personale e di coinvolgimento delle ditte appaltatrici, Il 2023 ha fatto segnare zero infortuni sul lavoro, a conferma delle efficaci misure di sicurezza adottate, e l’organico è salito a 130 persone, due in più rispetto al 2022: 5 Dirigenti, 29 Quadri, 77 Impiegati e 19 operai.

“La SIOT – dichiara Vittorio Torbianelli, Commissario Straordinario dell’Autorità di Sistema Portuale del Mare Adriatico Orientale – è altamente strategica per il porto, anche nella prospettiva della continua innovazione su cui investe l’azienda. Tale strategia le permette di migliorare l’efficienza ambientale nel breve e nel più lungo periodo di essere protagonista di percorsi di transizione energetica di cui tutto il sistema portuale deve essere protagonista. Anche alla luce di queste motivazioni vediamo con soddisfazione gli ottimi risultati di bilancio e traffico del gruppo TAL”.

PROSPETTIVE E PROGETTO TAL PLUS

“Il 2023 è stato un anno positivo per SIOT – spiega il Presidente SIOT e General Manager del Gruppo TAL Alessio Lilli – anzitutto perché abbiamo operato in sicurezza sia per chi lavora con noi, con zero infortuni registrati, sia per l’ambiente. Dal punto di vista operativo abbiamo garantito le esigenze sia delle raffinerie di destinazione che degli shippers e l’aumento dei traffici nel primo quadrimestre del 2024, con un 13,2% in più rispetto allo stesso periodo dell’anno scorso, ci fa stimare che quest’anno potremmo raggiungere i 40 milioni di tonnellate trasportate. A questa evoluzione del mercato si unisce l’operazione TAL Plus, il progetto che stiamo portando avanti e che, grazie all’adozione di nuovi sistemi di pompaggio, permetterà di aumentare la capacità di portata della pipeline. Un progetto strategico sotto il profilo internazionale che consentirà alla Repubblica Ceca di soddisfare il proprio fabbisogno di greggio attraverso il Porto di Trieste abbandonando le forniture russe”.

TRAGUARDI NEL 60° ANNO DALLA FONDAZIONE

Il primo quadrimestre del 2024 ha fatto registrate inoltre due traguardi significativi nella storia della società, che celebra i propri 60 anni dalla fondazione: l’arrivo al Terminale Marino della 22millesima nave e il superamento di 1,7 miliardi di tonnellate di greggio sbarcate dall’inizio delle operazioni.

“Il 3 giugno al Terminale Marino ha attraccato la nave Gemini Sun, 22millesima nella storia della SIOT – spiega Lilli – una “milestone” significativa che, unita al traguardo di 1,7 miliardi di tonnellate di greggio sbarcate nella nostra storia, restituisce chiaramente l’importanza strategica dell’oleodotto per il porto di Trieste e nell’economia dell’Europa. L’oleodotto rappresenta un sistema di trasporto sicuro, economico ed a basso impatto ambientale che gioca un ruolo importante per le economie delle aree interessate e che svolgerà una funzione determinante anche in futuro nonostante il crescente utilizzo di forme di energia alternative”.

LUCIO CARACCIOLO PER LE TAL ENERGY LECTURES

SIOT-TAL celebrerà il 10 luglio, nella Sala Luttazzi del Magazzino 26, l’importante ricorrenza dei 60 anni dalla propria fondazione con il primo di una serie di eventi, chiamati “TAL Energy Lectures”, che avrà come protagonista Lucio Caracciolo, il Direttore della rivista Limes che torna per l’occasione a Trieste, e che sarà momento di riflessione con studiosi e tecnici sulla situazione energetica e geopolitica attuale e i suoi possibili sviluppi futuri: “Vogliamo mettere al servizio della comunità la nostra esperienza e il nostro punto di vista unico su questi aspetti cruciali per il futuro della comunità in cui viviamo – aggiunge il Presidente Lilli – per questo stiamo organizzando questo appuntamento da cui crediamo possano emergere riflessioni importanti su quello che ci riserveranno i prossimi anni e i prossimi decenni, tra obiettivi di sostenibilità, cambiamenti politici, sociali ed economici, variazioni nelle fonti energetiche con la crescita delle rinnovabili e molti altri argomenti”.

LAVORI AL TERMINALE MARINO

La società sta inoltre proseguendo nell’importante progetto da oltre 44 milioni di euro per il potenziamento del Terminale Marino: “Per quello che sarà il singolo investimento più significativo nella storia di SIOT-TAL – ricorda Lilli – abbiamo scelto un partner di altissimo livello come Fincantieri. Procederemo a realizzare una serie di attività di rinforzo e consolidamento delle strutture del Terminale Marino, progettate per adattarsi alle crescenti esigenze del traffico marittimo, e coinvolgera ̀ entrambi i pontili SIOT, utilizzati per l’ormeggio delle petroliere in fase di discarica. Questi lavori non solo garantiranno la sicurezza delle nostre attivita ̀ per i prossimi decenni, ma ci posizioneranno in modo adeguato per affrontare le sfide del futuro”.

LA SITUAZIONE GEOPOLITICA ATTUALE

“Se il 2022 è stato l’anno dell’inizio del conflitto russo-ucraino – conclude Alessio Lilli – nel 2023 lo scenario internazionale è stato nuovamente scosso dal conflitto armato tra lo stato di Israele e Hamas, che ha portato con sé attacchi da parte dei ribelli Houti contro navi mercantili nei pressi del canale di Suez. Questo ha comportato che parte del traffico marittimo sia stato deviato sulla rotta che circumnaviga l’Africa, ma l’arrivo delle petroliere verso il terminale marino della società ne ha risentito solo marginalmente. La situazione geopolitica è sempre rilevante per una società come la nostra, per questo continuiamo a monitorare la situazione e con essa tutte le normative varate a livello internazionale come risposta alle crisi in corso. Per quanto queste non abbiano riguardato al momento direttamente le movimentazioni del greggio o altri aspetti dell’operatività, l’azienda è pronta a intervenire qualora lo scenario si modifichi”.

THE SHAREHOLDERS MEETING APPROVED 2022 STATEMENT: POSITIVE OPERATIONAL AND FINANCIAL RESULTS

The year 2022 ended with 37.2 million tonnes of crude oil discharged, 402 tankers at the Marine Terminal, new hires and zero accidents.

Trieste, 16 June 2023 – Yesterday, the Shareholders’ Meeting of SIOT, Società Italiana per l’Oleodotto Transalpino, approved the company’s 2022 financial statement, which closed with a positive result of 3.95 million euros against a production value slightly above 121 million.

In 2022, crude oil transported via the pipeline stood at 37.1 million tonnes, essentially stable compared to 2021. 402 tankers docked at the Marine Terminal, whose average tonnage was 92,352 metric tonnes, up from 87,773 M.T. in 2021.

“2022 was a complex year,” explains SIOT President and General Manager of the TAL Group Alessio Lilli, “during which the tail end of the pandemic was overlaid by the crisis of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, two factors that strongly affected the world economy and also our industry. We have reacted to these factors of uncertainty, which among many consequences have also caused a dramatic increase in the cost of raw materials and energy, with constant monitoring of the situation and with measures that have enabled us to ensure the full efficiency of our pipeline in both operational and financial terms. For this achievement, I want to thank all the people who work with SIOT, from the Management Team to all the employees to the many local organisations with whom we collaborate on a daily basis.”.

Among the production cost items, energy consumption is particularly significant: although SIOT consumed 4.69% less energy than in 2021, expenditure increased by 61.1% to almost 24 million euros.

“The issue of energy consumption is crucial for us,” emphasises the President, “which is also why we are investing in a complex project on cogeneration, which includes the construction of four plants along the pipeline line at the pumping stations. These modern cogenerators will not only produce the energy on site, but will also heat the crude oil, lowering its viscosity and making it easier to transport, thus reducing the energy needed to pump it along the pipeline. Finally, if we consider that these cogenerators will be able to be fuelled by biomethane, produced from the agricultural waste of local companies, it becomes clear how this modernisation project fits perfectly into the European Union’s guidelines on ecological transition, combining both economic and environmental advantages.”

In terms of personnel, 2022 was a good year both from an employment point of view, with the number of SIOT employees increasing to 128, and from a safety point of view, with zero accidents recorded.

“We invest a great deal in the culture of Safety & Security,” explains Alessio Lilli. “We feel a very strong responsibility to constantly guarantee the highest safety standards both for those who work with us and for the communities and territories crossed by our pipeline.”.

The Società Italiana per l’Oleodotto Transalpino S.p.A. manages the Italian portion of the approximately 750-kilometre-long pipeline that runs from Trieste to Ingolstadt in Germany and then on to Karlsruhe, playing a strategic role in the oil supply network for Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic.

“The pipeline represents a safe, economical and environmentally friendly transport system that plays an important role for the economies of the areas concerned and will also play a crucial role in the future despite the increasing use of alternative forms of energy” concluded Lilli.

Lenting tank farm: TAL successfully completes overhaul program

Last crude oil tank back in service
(Lenting, August 13, 2025) After several months of overhaul work, Deutsche Transalpine OelleitungGmbH (TAL) has recommissioned the last of its crude oil tanks at its Lenting site, Tank 6. This marks the successful completion of the current overhaul program for a total of seven tanks. The next inspection and maintenance phase is scheduled to begin in 2032.

“The tank overhaul is necessary to ensure safe plant operation and reliable energy transport. Experts and geologists from TÜV are conducting intensive technical inspections of the tanks to ensure they are ready for the next 15 years,” explains Harald Weber, responsible of the Lenting tank farm. The crude oil tanks, which are 58.5 meters in diameter and 18 meters high, are first emptied and cleaned. The internal inspection then begins with precision measurement technology and visual checks to determine the internal condition and any necessary repairs and replacements of individual components. Once this has been successfully completed, the newly certified tank can be put back into operation – including a technical update: “We have retrofitted another crude oil tank with a tertiary seal, which reduces vapor emissions by 99.8 percent,” says Weber.

Large cranes and suction trucks are being used during the final inspection work. “When refilling tank 6, the hydrocarbons produced are extracted and passed through a combustion chamber. However, a brief odour phase when the tank floats up cannot be completely ruled out in the coming week – we apologize for any inconvenience,” emphasizes the plant manager.

Near Miss Party, 20 February 2025

Workplace safety is a top priority for TAL, which implements procedures, preventive measures, and industry best practices to minimise the risk of accidents.

The term Near Miss refers to any event that could have led to a workplace accident, potentially causing harm to individuals. Reporting risk situations helps to highlight critical issues, while analysing Near Miss incidents and implementing corrective actions—although not legally required—play a key role in accident prevention.

Anyone who witnesses a potentially dangerous event is encouraged to report the Near Miss, as doing so is an act of responsibility. It may seem counterintuitive, but an increase in Near Miss reports is actually a positive sign: it demonstrates heightened awareness of workplace hazards, greater recognition of unsafe behaviours and anomalies, and, more broadly, a strengthened Safety Culture.

For every 100 Near Miss reports, TAL Group organises a Near Miss Party, held on a rotating basis in Austria, Germany, and Italy. This initiative rewards individuals—whether internal or external to the Group—who contribute to strengthening the Safety Culture by reporting Near Miss incidents. By sharing these “near accidents,” we can help prevent hazardous situations across our entire network and in everyday life.

This year, the Near Miss Party took place at the Jochen Schweizer Arena in Ottobrunn, near Munich, Germany. It was a fantastic opportunity for colleagues and contractors who had reported Near Miss incidents to come together, relax, and enjoy a fun-filled atmosphere, with games at the heart of the event.

A total of 85 participants took part in exciting and unusual activities, including bodyflying (indoor skydiving), indoor surfing, parkour, virtual reality games, and much more.

As per tradition, each Near Miss Party features a keepsake to remind attendees of the event. This year, we revived our tradition of T-shirts, creating a special edition for all participants.

TAL General Manager, Alessio Lilli, emphasised that recognising, reporting, and sharing Near Miss incidents is a concrete way to save lives and prevent accidents for the benefit of all. He also announced that next year’s Near Miss Party will take place in Austria—see you there!

TAL is proud to support the 21st International Football Tournament of Nations for U-15 national teams

(April 25th) Sporting commitment, international encounters and promoting young talent at the highest level – that is what the cross-border ‘Torneo delle Nazioni’ in the Alpe-Adria region (which includes Austria, Italy and Slovenia) stands for.
Transalpine Ölleitung in Österreich GmbH will once again be a partner of this important youth tournament in 2025. From 25 April to 1 May, twelve U-15 national teams from Europe, Asia and the Middle East met in Italy, Slovenia and Austria to compete and gain their first international experience.
The tournament offers young talents a unique stage on their way to a promising career. International football stars such as Gianluigi Donnarumma, Jude Bellingham and Christoph Baumgartner once played their first international matches here. The high sporting quality and international relevance of the event is also reflected in the presence of numerous scouts from leading European clubs, who closely follow the development of the young players.
The games took place in the last week of April 2025. The semi-finals were held on Tuesday, 29 April in Arnoldstein between Slovenia, the Czech Republic (3rd place) and Italy and Romania. In the final on 1 May in Gradisca d’Isonzo (Italy), the Italian team prevailed against the Romanian national team.
Just as the Transalpine Pipeline has been an essential link between Italy, Austria and Germany for decades, the Torneo delle Nazioni connects young talents across geographical, cultural and linguistic boundaries. Both stand for international exchange and active cooperation.
Part of the tournament traditionally takes place in the Carinthian municipalities of Kötschach-Mauthen, Hermagor and Arnoldstein. In addition to the sporting highlights, the event also creates significant added value for the region – from overnight stays to mobility with local businesses.
With its commitment, the Transalpine Pipeline underlines its regional roots as well as its European aspirations: as a strategic infrastructure connecting countries, it specifically supports initiatives that build connections between people and countries.

Tal meets with the Tyrolean district police commands

Cooperation with and understanding for the TAL safety culture is firmly established in the district police commands in Tyrol.

Safety as a core value has always been firmly anchored in the corporate culture of TAL Transalpine Pipeline. This approach is reinforced through ongoing training and information events with partner companies and institutions. In November 2024, a TAL information event took place for the Kitzbühel District Police Command as part of the regular training for commanders on site (KvO). The event was headed by Franz Mattersberger, HSSE Supervisor for TAL Transalpine Ölleitung in Austria. The focus was on general cooperation in the sense of the TAL safety culture, the avoidance of and optimal behaviour in the event of possible damage events. The training was provided to those employees of the district police command who, as those responsible in the Kitzbühel district, would be deployed in the event of damage and would work together with the TAL emergency personnel.

The training began with a general introduction of the TAL Transalpine pipeline structures. Furthermore, information was provided about the processes and how to contact the TAL operations management. The main objective is proactive and seamless communication between the TAL operations managers and the district police command operations managers in an emergency. To establish a direct practical link, the participants then received a tour of the Jochberg emptying station and the north portal of the Hahnenkamm tunnel from the TAL Transalpine Ölleitung in Österreich operations manager, Dipl.-Ing. Manuel Goller.

The team of the district police command Kitzbühel expressed its sincere thanks for the information event. The numerous questions from the participants showed the interest and the need to gain sufficient knowledge about the Transalpine Oil Pipeline and to understand the TAL safety culture. The event in Kitzbühel was the third of its kind. After Kufstein (2022), Lienz (2023) and now Kitzbühel (2024), all district commands in Tyrol through which the TAL passes are up to date.

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