The tiny Tuscan town facing down a gas ship

People in the sleepy port of Piombino are concerned about the effects of the hurriedly installed regasification unit on its marine ecosystem

Piombino is a small seaside town in Tuscany. It is known for a few modest things – its picturesque historic centre, with walls designed by Leonardo da Vinci, and as the place where ships leave for Sardinia. Now, however, it is also known for something new, something that has set off a heated political debate in an otherwise sleepy municipality: a ship.

Calling the Golar Tundra, which docked here at in March, a ship is not technically accurate. It’s actually a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), whose job is to take liquefied gas (LNG) transported by carriers, return it to a gaseous state and then feed it into the gas network. It will begin operation in May, and Italy’s government wants to “park” it in Piombino’s port for at least three years. But the town’s citizens, and mayor, have other ideas. Along with environmental activists from across Italy, they have set out to block the project.