What Ghella does

Ghella S.p.A. is a privately held Italian infrastructure construction company founded in 1894 and headquartered in Rome, specializing in mechanized tunnelling for major public works. The company delivers design-and-construct services across five verticals: railways and metros (high-speed rail lines and urban transit), highways, water infrastructure (wastewater collectors and supply tunnels), renewables, and other civil works, executed primarily through tunnel boring machine (TBM) excavation. Its technology portfolio includes some of the largest TBMs deployed globally (cutterheads exceeding 13 metres), dual-mode TBMs capable of operating at depths up to 2,000 metres in hard rock or water-bearing loose ground, Hydroshield machines for sub-water-table work, and Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) TBMs for urban metro projects in soft soils. Notable active or recently completed projects include the Salerno–Reggio Calabria High-Speed Rail Lot 1A, Milan M1 extension, Lyon–Turin Base Tunnel (Italian side), Hanoi Metro Line 3, Suburban Rail Loop East in Melbourne, E6 Clean Water Tunnel in Oslo, Herne Bay Collector in Auckland, and three Canadian subway extensions in Ontario.

The company operates a pure B2G business model, generating revenue through multi-year infrastructure construction contracts awarded via competitive tender by national, regional, and municipal government authorities across 17+ countries on five continents. Pricing is project-specific and negotiated based on scope, complexity, and specifications; there are no standardized tiers or recurring SaaS-like revenue mechanics. Ghella executes most mega-projects through consortia or joint ventures with partners such as Itinera, AF Gruppen, Spie Batignolles, and Vianini Lavori, sharing risk and bonding capacity on contracts that can exceed €360 million. The company is family-owned across five generations, holds €100 million of share capital, and maintains a globally distributed operating structure of 20+ wholly-owned subsidiaries and branches. In September 2024 it acquired a majority stake in Australian ground engineering specialist The RIX Group, strengthening its Australian platform. ESG and certification positioning is unusually deep—UN Global Compact member, EcoVadis Platinum (top 1% globally), and certifications spanning ISO 9001/14001/45001/27001/37001/30415, SA8000, SOA public works qualification, and MIT General Contractor status—reflecting the demanding compliance thresholds of public-sector tendering.

Name

Ghella

Legal name

Ghella S.p.A.

Website

https://ghella.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1894

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Ghella S.p.A. is a privately held, family-owned Italian tunnelling contractor (founded 1894) that designs and constructs railways, metros, highways, and water infrastructure for government clients globally using advanced tunnel boring machine (TBM) technology across five continents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tunnel Construction Services

NAICS

Water and Sewer Line and Related Structures Construction (23711)

SIC

Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Tunnel Construction (Road, Rail, Utility) (IMAFAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water & Wastewater Pipeline Construction (Mains, Force Mains, Interceptors) (IMAFAGAC), Water Conveyance Tunnels & Large-Diameter Pressure Mains (Long-Distance) (TLAGAHAI), Self-Performing General Contractors (IMAFAAAI)

Keywords

• Tunnel construction services
• Underground infrastructure
• Metro rail construction
• Water tunnel systems
• Highway excavation

Headquarters

HQ city

Roma

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices22 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Infrastructure Construction Contracts: Ghella generates revenue through large-scale infrastructure construction contracts awarded by governments and public authorities. Projects include tunnelling for railways, metros, highways, and water infrastructure. Revenue is project-based with long contract durations typically spanning several years.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ghella is a specialized infrastructure construction company that designs and executes large-scale tunnel and underground excavation projects for railways, metros, highways, water systems, and renewable energy infrastructure. The company deploys mechanized tunnel boring machines (TBMs), including dual-mode, EPB, and hydroshield variants, to deliver complex tunneling projects for government and public authority clients globally.

Product overview

Ghella is an Italian infrastructure construction company operating as a single unified business rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The company provides comprehensive infrastructure services across five core sectors: Railways & Metros (high-speed rail, metro systems), Highways (tunnel construction), Water (wastewater infrastructure, water supply), Renewables (energy infrastructure), and Others. The company's primary specialized capability is Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) excavation services, utilizing various machine types for different geological conditions. Ghella also engages in Special Projects focused on cultural initiatives including photography exhibitions at MAXXI, restoration of historical sites like the Loggia dei Vini at Villa Borghese, and educational sponsorships. The company operates globally through subsidiaries and joint ventures across multiple countries including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA, Norway, France, Spain, Greece, and others.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Spazio Ghella: A space dedicated to contemporary photography created in collaboration with MAXXI National Museum of 21st Century Arts in Rome.
• LAVINIA

Products and services

• Railways & Metros Infrastructure Services
• Highways Infrastructure Services
• Water Infrastructure Services
• Renewables Infrastructure Services
• Other Infrastructure Services
• Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) Excavation Services

Quantifiable outcome

• M6 motorway project completed with 4 km twin tunnels, serving Sydney's transportation infrastructure
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The RIX Group of CompaniescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 September 2024Ghella acquired a majority stake in The RIX Group of Companies in Australia. The RIX Group is known for expertise in ground engineering and related fields. This strategic move expands Ghella's infrastructure services in the Australian market by combining Ghella's global experience with RIX's local expertise in ground engineering.
• Watercare (Auckland, New Zealand)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGhella signed Design and Construction contract with Watercare for the Herne Bay Collector Tunnel project. This builds on successful progress and nearing completion of the Central Interceptor project. Ghella will construct the 1.7km Herne Bay Collector Tunnel connecting into Auckland's wider wastewater network.
• Consorzio XeniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsorzio Xenia is the consortium partner for the Salerno-Reggio Calabria High-Speed Rail Lot 1A project. The consortium is responsible for design and construction of approximately 35 km of railway including tunnels, viaducts, and associated infrastructure.
• AF GruppencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAF Gruppen and Ghella formed a joint venture to deliver the E6 Clean Water Tunnel project for Oslo. JV AF Ghella is responsible for the tunnel system, including 11 km excavated using TBM and 7 km using drilling and blasting methods, plus pipe installation and water treatment infrastructure.
• Colmeto Scarl Consortium (Itinera S.p.A. and Ghella)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerColmeto Scarl is a consortium composed of Itinera S.p.A. (lead partner with 51%) and Ghella S.p.A. (49%) for the Turin Median Collector project. The consortium is responsible for excavating 9.5 km of tunnel using TBM technology.
• Eteria Consorzio Stabile (Vianini Lavori, Itinera, I.CO.P.), Ghella, C.M.B. Società CooperativacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTemporary Consortium of Companies for Milan M1 Bisceglie-Baggio extension. Total contract value of €362 million funded by Italian Government and Municipality of Milan. Ghella part of the consortium building 3.3 km underground metro extension.
• UXT Consortium (Itinera, Ghella, Spie Batignolles)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUXT consortium responsible for tunnel boring machine excavation for the Lyon-Turin Base Tunnel Italian side. Ghella part of the consortium delivering dual-mode TBMs for excavation of access tunnels and base tunnel sections.
• Fondazione Umberto Veronesi ETSminorOthersGhella supports Fondazione Veronesi in pediatric oncology research, including the PALM Research Project for pediatric acute myeloid leukemia and European multicenter study on high-risk neuroblastoma.
• MAXXI National Museum of 21st Century ArtsminorOthersGhella is Institutional Sponsor for Photography for Spazio Ghella at MAXXI museum in Rome. The space hosts exhibitions and projects dedicated to contemporary photography, promoting artistic languages and cultural perspectives.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Acciona Infrastructure: Spanish infrastructure major with tunneling capabilities and active on transit and water tunnel projects in Europe, Latin America, and Oceania. Comparable business model and customer overlap with Ghella.
• Strabag: Austrian-based European construction leader with a substantial tunneling division. Competes with Ghella on Central and Southern European rail and metro tunnel tenders.
• Hochtief (incl. Turner and CIMIC): German-based global contractor with significant tunneling exposure through CIMIC/CPB Contractors in Australia. Competes directly with Ghella on Australian metro and rail mega-projects.
• Skanska: Swedish-headquartered construction group with significant civil infrastructure and tunneling operations across the Nordics, UK, and North America. Direct overlap with Ghella on rail, metro, and water tunnels.
• Implenia: Swiss-based construction services group specializing in tunneling and large-scale civil infrastructure across Europe. Competes with Ghella for rail, metro, and water tunnel tenders, particularly in Alpine and Northern European markets.
• ACS Group / Dragados: Spanish construction major with extensive North American tunneling through Dragados. Competes with Ghella for transit tunnel tenders, especially in Canada and the US, with overlapping customer base of public transit authorities.
• Webuild (formerly Salini Impregilo): Italian-headquartered global infrastructure contractor with deep tunneling expertise on high-speed rail and metro mega-projects. Direct overlap with Ghella on Italian HS/HC rail lots (e.g., Naples-Bari) and on consortium-led tenders across Europe, Oceania, and the Americas.
• Vinci Construction (incl. VINCI Construction Grands Projets and Dodin Campenon Bernard): French-headquartered global heavy civil contractor with extensive tunneling experience on metro, HS rail, and water projects. A consortium competitor to Ghella on European mega-tenders and a benchmark for large-TBM execution.
• Bouygues Construction (incl. VSL and Dragages): French major with global tunneling and civil infrastructure operations; competes with Ghella on metro and rail tunnel tenders worldwide, including through consortium structures similar to Ghella's.

Others

• Herrenknecht: German manufacturer of tunnel boring machines (TBMs), the key technology supplier to Ghella and most mechanized tunneling contractors. Not a direct competitor but the principal enabling-technology counterpart to Ghella's TBM-driven services business.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ghella-s.p.a
• Instagraminstagram.com/ghella1894
• Xx.com/GhellaSpa
• Facebookfacebook.com/ghellaspa

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries23 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ghella