Subsea works, underwater UXO clearance and hyperbaric operations.
SEMTEC, the subsea subsidiary of DEMINETEC Group, brings underwater inspection, marine UXO clearance and hyperbaric works expertise to the port and industrial community of Milan (Italy). Our Class II commercial divers — certified under French Decree 2011-45 (hyperbaric class B) and trained to NEDEX/EOD standards — operate on harbours, marine structures, ships' hulls and coastal areas contaminated by 20th-century conflicts.
Milan, Italy's industrial and financial capital, suffered some of the heaviest Allied strategic bombing of the Italian campaign. Major raids in October 1942 (RAF Bomber Command) and February, August and October 1943 (USAAF and RAF) targeted Pirelli, Breda, Caproni and Alfa Romeo factories, the central railway station and the marshalling yards of Lambrate and Greco. The August 1943 raids alone dropped over 1,800 tonnes of bombs, leaving thousands of unexploded devices.
After the September 1943 armistice, Milan came under direct German military administration and Wehrmacht occupation until 25 April 1945. The city's industrial belt (Sesto San Giovanni, Bovisa, Bicocca) became a key Resistance battleground, accumulating further air-dropped munitions, demolition charges and abandoned ammunition dumps.
Today's Milan Metropolitan City development pipeline — MIND innovation district, scali ferroviari brownfields (Farini, San Cristoforo, Romana), MM4 and MM5 metro extensions, post-Expo 2015 redevelopment — routinely uncovers WWII ordnance. UXO desk studies and magnetometric surveys are increasingly standard before deep excavation.
Pyrotechnic historical desk study (EHT) and safety study (ESP) for any harbour, river or submerged-works project around Milan.
Magnetometric survey of riverbanks, canals and inland water bodies in the region of Milan.
Technical works in any industrial facility with submerged basins, tanks or pipelines.
Class II/III diver surveys of inland infrastructure: dams, locks, intake structures.
Subsea pyrotechnic audits, owner's-engineering support and training of local crews.
In the strategic port of Milan, SEMTEC mobilises divers, observation ROVs and marine magnetometers to secure basins, jetties, approach channels and anchorages where 20th-century munitions still routinely lie on the seabed.
SEMTEC operates in Milan and across Italy from our French bases at La Seyne-sur-Mer (Var) and Wancourt (Pas-de-Calais), our Belgian office in Bruges and our Ukrainian site in Kyiv. Diving spread and naval logistics are mobilised on demand.
Yes. Riverbanks, canals, inland-port basins and reservoirs all fall within our remit. The region of Milan contains submerged sites of pyrotechnic interest linked to 20th-century conflicts.
Yes, through DEMINETEC Group. The parent company handles land areas while SEMTEC addresses submerged structures and wet zones on the same project.
Typically 5–15 working days depending on distance and logistics. For Milan, plan road transport of diving spread, ROV and mobile chamber.
Yes. SEMTEC holds hyperbaric class-B authorisations, MASE certification and works with a referenced hyperbaric occupational-health service.
The Navigli are a system of interconnected canals in and around Milan, in Lombardy, dating back as far as the Middle Ages. The system consists of five canals: Naviglio Grande, Naviglio Pavese, Naviglio Martesana, Naviglio di Paderno and Naviglio di Bereguardo. Naviglio Grande, Naviglio Pavese and Naviglio Martesana were connected through Milan by the Fossa Interna, also known as the Inner Ring. The urban section of Naviglio Martesana was covered over at the beginning of the 1930s together with the entire Inner Ring.
The canals are mostly used today for irrigation, while tourist navigation is available along certain sections. Commercial carrying continued on Naviglio Grande, although it declined steadily. In the 1960s, a project for a fluvial port intended to reach the Po River and consequently the Adriatic Sea through the canals was shelved permanently. The waterways developed within a territory supplied by the Lambro, Seveso and Olona rivers, as well as the ancient Nirone and the Molia, or Mollia. The Lambro retains its ancient natural bed, while the Olona and Seveso were diverted by the ancient Romans. Water management was also used for agriculture through canalization and drainage. In the 21st century, the Navigli area is a highly active part of Milan with residential units, bars, restaurants and a notable presence of artists.
The Navigli form an interconnected freshwater waterway system linked to irrigation, drainage and agricultural water management. Their hydraulic setting is associated with the Lambro, Seveso and Olona rivers, the Nirone and the Molia, and the area known as the line of fountains, where deep waters resurface through geological layers with different permeability. Commercial carrying continued on Naviglio Grande, and tourist navigation operates along certain sections, creating navigation activity within the canal network. The urban section of Naviglio Martesana and the entire Inner Ring were covered over at the beginning of the 1930s. No tide, water depth, draught, military activity or lock system is stated.
The system consists of five canals: Naviglio Grande, Naviglio Pavese, Naviglio Martesana, Naviglio di Paderno and Naviglio di Bereguardo. Naviglio Grande, Naviglio Pavese and Naviglio Martesana were connected through Milan by the Fossa Interna, also known as the Inner Ring.
Today, the canals are mostly used for irrigation. Tourist navigation options are available along certain sections. Commercial carrying continued on Naviglio Grande, but the decline was steady, and a project for a fluvial port linking the canals with the Po River and the Adriatic Sea was shelved in the 1960s.
Reference : Wikipédia — Navigli
For any survey, inspection or subsea intervention in Milan, contact our teams:
Tel: +33 (0)9 52 51 00 63
Email: contact@semtec-france.com
Read also: underwater UXO clearance · commercial diving services · offshore subsea works.