STUDIO METODO TARGA | MARITIME AND PORT RISK ANALYSIS
Analysis by Saverio Zavaglia – Studio Metodo Targa
A 272-metre container ship. A berthing manoeuvre. A crane stopped for maintenance.
It takes only a few moments to turn an ordinary operation into an event capable of disrupting a terminal’s operations.
This is what happened on 21 October at Livorno’s Terminal Darsena Toscana, where CMA CGM’s Pointe Noire struck a Paceco crane, causing structural damage and derailing it.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
But one aspect deserves closer consideration: the economic impact of a port accident does not necessarily equal the repair bill.
The real risk is the domino effect
According to initial reports, only two of the terminal’s six Paceco cranes were usable in the hours following the incident.
Operating capacity may therefore fall substantially, with potential consequences for several parties:
- Terminal operator: physical damage, extraordinary expenses and possible loss of revenue.
- Shipping line: liability to be established, damage to the vessel and possible delays.
- Freight forwarders: rescheduling shipments and higher operating costs.
- Importers and exporters: delivery delays, possible penalties and production interruptions.
Damage to a crane is immediately visible. The economic damage that can spread along the supply chain is much less apparent.
Who pays when a vessel damages port infrastructure?
The answer is not automatic.
The manoeuvre must be reconstructed, liability established, and the contracts and insurance policies involved examined.
Several types of insurance may potentially come into play.
Vessel P&I: may respond to third-party liabilities, subject to the terms and limits of cover.
Terminal property insurance: may cover physical damage to infrastructure, within the policy terms.
Business interruption: may protect against loss of margin following an interruption, but generally requires insured physical damage and compliance with contractual conditions.
Operators’ liability: requires an assessment of their respective obligations and any liability.
However, delays, contractual penalties and indirect economic losses are not automatically insured.
This is where the difference emerges between holding a policy and building an effective risk-transfer system.
The Metodo Targa perspective
Our insurance advisory approach starts with a different question:
If essential infrastructure stopped working for three months tomorrow, what would the actual cost to the business be?
Not just the value of the crane.
But how much revenue could be affected, which contractual obligations would remain, what extraordinary costs would arise, and which risks would remain with the company.
Applying Metodo Targa to port logistics means examining infrastructure, liability, operational continuity and insurance cover together.
A policy can be formally correct yet still fall short of the actual economic exposure.
The lesson from Livorno
The Harbour Master’s investigation will clarify the causes and any liability for the incident. It would be inappropriate to anticipate its conclusions.
One observation, however, can already be made.
In modern logistics, risk is measured not only by the value of what can break, but also by the cost of everything that may consequently stop.
That difference should be the focus of genuinely specialist insurance advice.
Saverio Zavaglia Studio Metodo Targa | Insurance, port, marine and logistics risk consultancy
Source: Shipping Italy, Giuseppe Orrù, 22 October 2026 – Nave portacontainer danneggia una gru del Terminal Darsena Toscana di Livorno.
Information verification
The reported facts are consistent with the Shipping Italy article and the account by Messaggero Marittimo. Liability for the collision, the final extent of damage and insurance amounts have not yet been established.
Sources and references
General professional insight. Individual situations require a review of documents and specific circumstances.
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