Civil engineering company Ghella has announced the commencement of works on the Campolattaro Dam project in Italy's Benevento province.  

The company, via a joint venture (JV), was awarded two lots for the design and execution of the Campolattaro Dam project in October 2023. 

The launch event for the project featured the ceremonial startup of the tunnel boring machine, named Falanghina. 

The event was attended by Matteo Salvini, Italy's infrastructure and transport minister and deputy prime minister.

This initiative is one of seven national strategic interventions outlined in the National Recovery and Resiliency Plan and aims to construct a significant reservoir in central Southern Italy. 

Originally conceived in the 1960s by the Cassa del Mezzogiorno for irrigation, the project was previously halted and left incomplete. 

Upon completion, the reservoir will supply water resources to 20 municipalities in the Benevento area and other aqueducts in Campania. 

The first phase of the project involves building a diversion tunnel approximately 7.5km in length and 5m in diameter.  

Additionally, a water treatment facility capable of processing up to 3,000 litres per second will be constructed. 
 
The first phase also includes building a 30,000m³ storage tank, along with a hydroelectric facility. 
 
The second phase involves constructing a drinking water pipeline, a feeder branch, and associated infrastructure to expand the aqueduct network in Benevento.  

This stage includes laying approximately 110km of pipelines with diameters ranging from 400mm to 1,800mm. 
 
Once finished, the Campolattaro Dam is expected to provide drinking water for more than 2.5 million people and irrigation for about 15,000 hectares of agricultural land. 

In June this year, Ghella, in a JV with the Eteria Consortium and C.M.B., received a contract worth around €360m ($414.6m) to extend Milan’s M1 metro line in Italy.