Press Conference - 18 th January 2017 Nantes Saint Nazaire Port 2/14

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1 Operational Implementation of the Strategy Serving Sectors of Activity An Internationally Active Port Greater Proximity to the Community at Large A Stronger Territorial Presence The Start of a Recovery in Port Traffic Volumes Investments, Financing and Competitiveness Some Events in the 2017 Calendar Appendices Traffic Statistics. Composition of the Supervisory Board. Composition of the Development Board. Photographs of the port facilities and main operations carried out in 2016, plus accompanying captions (on USB flash drive) 1/14

2 In October 2015, Nantes Saint Nazaire Port s Supervisory Board adopted a strategic plan for the period This plan is structured around three orientations. "Playing a core role in existing and emerging sectors", "Delivering high-performance port-based industrial facilities" and "Driving a shared policy for the sustainable development of estuarine port areas" marks its implementation in operational terms, as is illustrated by the selected examples below, to be presented in more detail. To assist the ongoing development of the marine renewable energy sector and to support the growth of the industrial companies located in the area, together with its territorial partners Nantes Saint Nazaire Port has undertaken the regeneration of the industrial and port activity zone in Saint Nazaire. The Port Authority has intensified its commercial approaches in China, a zone offering strong growth, notably for the agri-food sectors. A new service offer has been introduced at the ro-ro terminal, for the automotive sector and for industrial logistics. has invested nearly 30 million euros, financed with the help of Central, Regional and Local Government and of the European Commission, to maintain and to develop its industrial facilities. The work to extend the quay at the Montoir de Bretagne general cargo and container terminal is well under way, with delivery of the structure scheduled for the autumn of Equipment such as the floating dock or the docking facility for the Le Pellerin workshops has been renovated. Moreover, has decided not to increase its tariff of port dues for 2017, with the aim of contributing to the collective effort to ensure the competitiveness of the Lore Estuary Port Community. The industrial ecology initiative undertaken with Saint Nazaire Urban Area District Authority has made it possible to identify certain inter-company synergies. The project to develop the Le Carnet port facility, which includes the creation of an industrial park dedicated to renewable forms of energy, is currently the subject of a public inquiry. A plan for the management of the natural spaces at the East Donges site is in the implementation phase. A European project has been elaborated for the purpose of converting the dredger Samuel de Champlain to a natural gas engine system. 2/14

3 asserts its industrial vocation by assisting the development of sectors of activity that are long established in the Region, such as shipbuilding, and the emergence of new sectors of activity such as marine renewable energy is marked by the large-scale work carried out at the general cargo and container terminal, the introduction of new service offers and the upgrading of port facilities. Infrastructures Suited to the XXL Requirements of Industrial Firms The industrial fabric of the Loire Estuary saw some big orders through to completion in 2016, evidencing its acknowledged know-how and consolidating new activities. These involved some major logistical and handling operations. In July, the General Electric plants at Montoir de Bretagne delivered five offshore wind turbine nacelles destined for the Block Island offshore wind farm facility in the USA. The shipment operation via the Joubert dock utilized the skills of local logistics professionals specializing in heavy-lift, very large-sized cargo consignments, known as XXL consignments. This groundbreaking operation served to illustrate the volume of activity which the construction of the future wind farm off Le Croisic by the consortium led by EDF-EN New Energy will represent, as well as the use to be made of the Saint Nazaire logistics hub for the storage and pre-assembly of the components, looking towards An operation to load offshore wind turbine nacelles at the Joubert dock, last July. In February, after several months in the dock basins and dry dock in Saint Nazaire, work was completed on the building of the river-going vessel Elbe Princesse, designed by the Néopolia consortium for the Croisieurope cruise shipping line. The sister ship of the Loire Princesse was delivered to Berlin, on 14 th April. Furthermore, work started in December on the building of a third river-going cruise ship, the Elbe Princesse II. The heavy-lift cargo terminal located at the Quai des Charbonniers quay in Saint Nazaire saw a strong level of activity. Many companies made use of the jumbo derrick, which can lift loads weighing 400 tonnes. Tissot Industrie utilized the jumbo derrick to ship two oversized, 350-tonne butane tanks, the biggest the Company has ever made, to a customer in Sweden. At the end of the year, STX France employed this piece of equipment to unload the stack of the world s largest cruise liner currently being built, the Oasis 4, the sister ship of the Harmony of the Seas. Together with other plant and equipment, Quai des Charbonniers is also the place of unloading of the sheet steel produced in Spain for the Edge series of cruise liners, which are being built at the STX France shipyard. Lastly, six 280-tonne engines produced at the The jumbo derrick being used to ship two XXL tanks to Sweden. Man Diesel facility in Saint Nazaire were loaded on board ship in December, bound for an electric power plant in Gibraltar. 3/14

4 Since August, the Penhoët dock basin in Saint Nazaire has been the worksite for the construction of the prototype of France s first floating wind turbine. The Floatgen project is led by a consortium comprising several partners, including the École Centrale Engineering School in Nantes and the companies Idéol and Bouygues Travaux Publics (Civil Engineering). The float, once completed, and the wind turbine will be assembled then put in position off Le Croisic at the SEM-REV offshore test site in the autumn of At Montoir de Bretagne, the work on extending the general cargo and container terminal, which began in September 2015, is ongoing. It may be remembered that the 350-metre extension will create a 600-metre length of quay and will make it possible to receive container ships measuring 330 metres in length and with a capacity of to TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), compared to the current figure of to TEUs. 200 metres of quay will also be adapted for the handling of heavy-lift cargo. Built by a group of companies commissioned by Bouygues Travaux Publics (Civil Engineering), the structure is due to be delivered in the autumn of Upgrading the Port Facilities Used for Ship Repair Activities A large-scale programme of work has been carried out on the maritime works at Le Pellerin. Begun in September 2014, the renovation of the docking facility was completed in the spring of 2016, with the delivery of a last, 40-metre section of gangway. The new equipment now offers a docking facility which is 160 metres in length. A key element in the vessel-oriented activities on site, it provides mooring for different waterborne craft, such as dredgers and hydrographic launches, as well as for specific items of equipment such as the Aloès lifting platform. The floating dock in dry dock N 1, during its maintenance turnaround. An iconic structure at the Les Coteaux facility, the floating dock returned to Le Pellerin last July, following a 6-month-long maintenance turnaround in the dry docks in Saint Nazaire. This piece of equipment, which is used for ship repair and maintenance operations, had not seen such an overhaul since In Saint Nazaire, work on upgrading the caisson gate of dry dock N 1 began in December. Carried out in dock N 3, the work should be finished by the end of February. Developing the Logistical, Ro-Ro and Container Service Offer At Montoir de Bretagne, general cargo and container terminal operator TGO Great Western Terminal has extended its service offer. The Company completed work last autumn on the refurbishment of its logistics platform, with the upgrading of two m² and m² warehouses and the creation of a new m² storage zone, in order to offer container packing and unpacking, warehousing and order preparation services. Operator TGO extended its logistical service offer in /14

5 Anticipating the new regulations *, since July TGO has been proposing a service whereby containers are weighed directly at the terminal, in order to guarantee maximum flexibility for importers, exporters and forwarding agents. In April, the terminal operator also launched a digital application called EasyGate. Aimed at logistics professionals and road hauliers, the application makes it possible to know on a real-time basis how the container processing is progressing and thereby to render cargo flows more fluid. The container shipping offer increased in March, with the arrival of the Niledutch shipping line, operating co-loading on the existing CMA-CGM service to the West Coast of Africa. The subject of deliberations as of 2012, the transformation of the ro-ro terminal was completed in the spring of The entry into service of ro-ro berth N 3 in February and the delivery in May 2016 of 11 hectares of parking areas completed the transformation of the Montoir de Bretagne ro-ro terminal. Instituted in 2012 with the decision to locate the General Electric (formerly Alstom) factory at the industrial facility, this restructuring operation was conducted in consultation with the players using the terminal and has made it possible to redistribute space to create a new organization by type of cargo. The facility accommodates companies specializing in the handling, transportation and storage of vehicles, trailers and oversized industrial cargo consignments. In November, Scania, one of Europe s leading truck manufacturers, chose to use the services offered by the Montoir de Bretagne ro-ro terminal to ship heavy goods vehicles assembled at the Scania Production facility in Angers and bound for the North African market. Previously, such units were conveyed by road to the Port of Barcelona. The inaugural loading operation took place on 24 th November, on board the ro-ro vessel Ville de Bordeaux. Furthermore, on 7 th December, before an audience comprising 170 players from the world of ports and shipping, was awarded the prestigious Shortsea 2016 Trophy, in the "Ports" category, for its actions to promote the development of shortsea shipping and modal shift. * Adopted by the IMO, an amendment of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) provides that the gross weight of each container packed for export is to be checked prior to loading on board a vessel. 5/14

6 In 2016, launched a new offensive to win over the Asian market, and more particularly to develop new container throughput and to attract investors. The Port Authority also played its part in hosting major ports and shipping industry gatherings. Intensified Relations with China Since 2013, has undertaken numerous commercial actions in Asia, with a view to developing new flows of containers and to attracting investors to the Loire Estuary, in the areas of energy, industry and agri-foodstuffs. Forged over the long term with Chinese companies, at the start of 2016 these relations successfully secured export container shipping traffic of meat product consignments representing around TEUs per year. continued with this substantive approach in Back in January, working alongside the Port of Bordeaux, the Port Authority organized the first Atlantic Ports Forum, entitled "One Belt, One Road", in Qingdao, in the Province of Shandong. This commercial event was attended by 230 Chinese companies, including shipowners, shippers, and logistics providers interested in new business opportunities linking France and China. In March, two Chinese delegations composed of potential investors were welcomed to the Loire Estuary. Two new missions were scheduled in October. The first was to Southern Asia, from 9 th to 15 th October, to Canton, Shenzhen and Hong Kong, with a view to establishing new contacts and to discovering new markets. The outline for a long-term business cooperation agreement with Canton was drawn up. In Shenzhen, Nantes Saint Nazaire Port took part in the second In Shenzhen, in October, signed a strategic cooperation agreement relating to technological and environmental changes, with 14 ports of international stature. edition of the 21 st Century Maritime Silk Road Forum and in the fifth edition of the Port Chain Strategy of Shenzhen International Forum. During this visit, the Port Authority signed a strategic cooperation agreement with 14 ports of international stature, concerning the technological and environmental changes that will mould the ports of tomorrow. From 23 rd to 26 th October, a Nantes Saint Nazaire Port delegation paid a visit to Northern China. Stops in Beijing, Qingdao and Shanghai served to consolidate existing contacts with Chinese investors in the areas of agri-foodstuffs and e- commerce. To assist this proactive approach, launched a Chinese version of its website and an associated newsletter. This offers suitable content for Chinese professionals seeking to read the latest news and to find out more about the industrial, logistical and real-estate solutions at the Port of Nantes Saint Nazaire. 6/14

7 International Recognition for Over the course of two days at the start of April, received a twentystrong delegation of members of the Economic Analysis and Statistics Committee of ESPO (European Sea Ports Organisation). This was the first time that one of France s ports had hosted a meeting of this committee composed of representatives of 13 member states. The experts discussed best practices in the areas of analysis and forecasting, the particular focus being on ESPO s PORTOPIA (Ports Observatory for Performance Indicators Analysis) Project, which aims to elaborate a port performance management system. In June, welcomed for the third time the International TrainForTrade Programme run by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Over a period of 10 days, experts from Nantes Saint-Nazaire Port, the Nantes Ports Maritime Union and UNCTAD conducted a training session for 40 port managers from Africa and Haiti, focussing on modern port management. From 19 th to 21 st October, La Baule was the venue for the 90 th International Convention of the Propeller Club, the global institution that joins together over members, including 80 ports. provided support to the Nantes Saint Nazaire Propeller Club, which organized the event. In addition to the conferences and panel discussions on a variety of topics, including the cruise liners of the future, the new port-oriented technologies, and Europe/USA relations, the 150 delegates had the opportunity to discover the region, its industrial and maritime dynamism and its tourism potential. The programme of events notably featured tours of certain industrial facilities and of the port installations. The Human Sea Marisk International Symposium brought together 330 delegates at the International Conference Centre in Nantes. On 2 nd and 3 rd October, an event of international scope was held in Nantes, focussing on the theme of blue growth. The European Programme Human Sea combined with the Marisk International Conference to produce the Human Sea Marisk Symposium. Organized jointly by Nantes University s Maritime and Oceanic Law Centre, the National Maritime College of France (ENSM), the French National Institute of Maritime Safety and Administration (ENSAM), the specialist media publication Mer & Marine and Nantes Saint- Nazaire Port, this event was attended by delegates representing 21 countries and brought together leading international experts around a programme taking into account the latest scientific and technological advances. The new risks arising from the international economic and geopolitical situation, the major safety and security challenges faced, notably in terms of the increasing size of vessels, cyber security, the protection of offshore wind farms and high-reliability organizations at sea were among the issues presented and debated during panel discussions and workshops. 7/14

8 Through its participation in festive events and its educational programme, via its presence on social media and its involvement in industrial tourism, opens up to the general public and grows closer to the inhabitants of the Loire Estuary. To mark the fiftieth anniversary of the union of the Ports on the Loire Estuary, Nantes Saint Nazaire Port joined in the big festive events held in June, by proposing several event-based activities for the general public. From 4 th to 12 th June, as part of the first edition of the triennial event "Right on the Loire", a major nautical and cultural festival taking as its central theme the 120 th birthday of the vessel Belem, welcomed over 300 visitors to the Port Authority s headquarters, who all came to see the "Nantes Saint Nazaire Port Shapes the Future" Exhibition. On 5 th June, the Port Authority joined in the Bike Festival, a convivial, popular event that attracted nearly cyclists, who followed a route that took in the upriver port facilities and involved ferry crossings of the Loire. From 17 th to 21 st June, the Port Authority had its own stand at the 12 th edition of the Record SNSM Event, a regatta organized in aid of volunteer sea rescuers, in Saint Nazaire. joined in the Bike Festival held on 5 th June. On 8 th June, the Estuarium Association officially launched the "Our Estuary" educational project for the period Aimed at young people attending primary school, middle school or high school in Loire Atlantique, this programme sets out to help them discover the Loire Estuary in all its forms and to understand the issues involved. Being sensitive to this initiative, signed a partnership agreement with the Association in order to support this educational programme, which is also backed by EDF, the Belem Foundation, A Journey to Nantes, Nantes Metropolitan District Council and the Cœur d'estuaire and Loire & Sillon Community District Authorities, which have since become the Estuaire & Sillon, Sud Estuaire and Cœur Pays de Retz Community District Authorities. is now present on the social media networks Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. In 2016, extended its presence on the Web by joining the social media networks. The Port Authority s official Twitter (@nantesport) and YouTube accounts and Facebook page ( were launched back in June, so as to reach a wider public and ensure greater proximity to the community at large. has continued its actions to promote industrial tourism. It took part in the first "Company Tours in Our Region Days" supported by Pays de la Loire Regional Authority and the Visit Our Businesses in Pays de la Loire Association, of which the Port Authority is a member. Its visitor itineraries are developed in collaboration with A Journey to Nantes and Saint Nazaire Tourism & Heritage, and now features in the "Routard Guide of Company Tours". It may be remembered that, at the end of 2015, the Port Authority was awarded the "Qualité Tourisme TM " (Quality Tourism) Label for the tours of the downriver port facilities. 8/14

9 The territorial integration of France s ports was a major topic in 2016, both at national and at local level. The French Act of Parliament dated 20 th June 2016 relating to the Blue Economy led to several changes in terms of port governance. A close collaboration between Nantes Saint Nazaire Port and its territorial partners has delivered a number of structural projects focussing on the Loire Estuary s economic development. Greater Involvement in Governance by Local Stakeholders 2016 was marked by the adoption, on 20 th June, of the Blue Economy Act, one of the aims of which consists in ensuring that local stakeholders have a greater influence on port governance. Pays de la Loire Regional Authority therefore appointed a second representative to sit on the Port Authority s Supervisory Board. In February and March 2016, the Prime Minister assigned four parliamentary missions relating to the development of France s principal maritime gateways and to the competitiveness of its port communities. Senators Gérard César and Yannick Vaugrenard were charged with the mission concerning the ports on France s Atlantic Seaboard. The conclusions were reported to the Supervisory Board, then to the Development Board of the Port Authority. They notably recommend that interport collaboration be strengthened and the rail services to and from the hinterland be improved. Regeneration of the Saint Nazaire Industrial and Port Activity Zone Extending over 200 hectares, between the River Brivet and the outer harbour, the Saint Nazaire industrial and port activity zone forms the heart of the shipbuilding, ship repair, steel construction and mechanical engineering sectors on the Loire Estuary. Some fifty different companies are located there, generating nearly jobs. The site is also becoming a key element in the emerging sector of marine renewable energy. A collaboration was conducted from 2012 onwards with Central, Regional and Local The regeneration process for the Saint Nazaire industrial and port activity zone started last autumn. Government agencies, including Saint Nazaire Urban Area District Authority, the Agency for the Sustainable Development of the Saint Nazaire Area, the Nantes Saint Nazaire Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the companies located in the port activity zone, to initiate a process of regeneration and optimization of this site during the period The adopted programme of work notably includes the rerouting of Boulevard des Apprentis, the main road running through the zone, the contracting authority status in respect of which has been transferred to Saint Nazaire Urban Area District Authority. The project was approved by Nantes Saint Nazaire Port s Supervisory Board in June, then by the Saint Nazaire Urban Area District Community Council. A first phase of work will commence in late January 2017, with the demolition of 9/14

10 buildings and blockhouses, thereby freeing up the area to be taken up by the future route of Boulevard des Apprentis. The companies occupying the premises concerned up to now were relocated, with the help of Saint Nazaire Urban Area District Authority and Nantes Saint Nazaire Port. Covered by the Central Government Regional Government planning agreement, the overall operation for the regeneration of the Saint Nazaire industrial and port activity zone represents an investment of 30 M, financed by Central Government, Pays de la Loire Regional Authority, Loire Atlantique Departmental Authority, Saint Nazaire Urban Area District Authority, Saint Nazaire City Council, and the companies STX, Man and Sides. It comprises not only the rerouting of Boulevard des Apprentis, but also the building of a new road linking Boulevard des Apprentis and the future marine renewable energy logistics hub to be located near the Joubert sluice dock, as well as maintenance operations on the existing infrastructures, movable bridges and locks. A Project to Create an Inland Waterway Service The project to create a multi-customer, multi-sector inland waterway transport service on the Loire Estuary is a component of Nantes Saint Nazaire Port s strategic plan for the period It is also a part of the overall logistics plan for the Nantes Saint Nazaire Metropolitan Area. Several core stages were completed in A joint procurement group for the procurement of a freight transport service by inland waterway was formed in June, following validation by Nantes Saint Nazaire An Airbus inland waterway convoy between Nantes and Montoir de Bretagne. Port s governance bodies, by Nantes Metropolitan District Council and by Saint Nazaire Urban Area District Authority. An invitation to tender was issued during the summer, in order to appoint an operator. It should be noted that this project provides for the creation of a connection by barge between the Nantes-Cheviré, Le Carnet, Montoir de Bretagne and Saint Nazaire port facilities. This inland waterway service draws on the development prospects for the logistics required to transport industrial cargo, supplies of construction materials and recovered materials associated with the major metropolitan area worksites, and urban distribution. Other sectors such as containers or household waste have also been identified. The negotiations are still in progress. A Shared Industrial Ecology Initiative From Saint Nazaire to Donges, the industrial ecology initiative is also taking shape. Initiated in 2014 by and Saint Nazaire Urban Area District Authority via a far-reaching study, the operation resulted last year in a variety of actions being put in place. By way of illustration, some twenty different firms in the Montoir de Bretagne industrial and port activity zone have already opted to jointly purchase their electricity. As of the start of 2017, others will be testing pooled collection arrangements for their waste products, leading to a 10 to 15 % reduction in costs. Lastly, more complex projects relating to energy or water supplies are being studied, notably for a joint heating network to be set up in the Saint Nazaire industrial and port activity zone. 10/14

11 In 2016, records a total traffic volume of 25.5 million tonnes, which is higher than the previous year. This result is notably characterized by the increase in ro-ro traffic and by the upturn in liquefied natural gas traffic. Following 5 years of downward trends, the traffic volumes at the Port of Nantes Saint Nazaire see fresh growth. The progression would have been more marked had the port-based activities not been disrupted by the national industrial action in protest at the French Labour and Employment Act, in May and June 2016, a period during which many port calls were cancelled. The ro-ro traffic volume rises again (+ 19 %), after a period of decline following the suspension of the maritime motorway service between Gijón and Montoir de Bretagne in September was marked by the entry into service of a new ro-ro berth and by the delivery of parking areas. The traffic volume is boosted by the good results achieved by the maritime motorway service between Vigo and Montoir de Bretagne. It also benefits from the throughput on the Milk Run Med service, which was launched in 2012 to permit the transportation of consignments of aircraft components between the different production facilities in the The ro-ro traffic volume is boosted by the good results for the maritime motorway service between Vigo and Montoir de Bretagne. Mediterranean Basin. Open to other types of traffic, the service is notably used by Renault Nissan and more recently by truck manufacturer Scania, which exports from its production plant in Angers. In a worldwide container shipping market characterized by sluggish demand, the fall in freight rates on Asia-Europe services and the reconfiguration of shipping lines, the traffic volume at the Montoir de Bretagne terminal is stabilized at around 1.8 million tonnes (MT), or TEUs. After a record year in 2015, the grain and cereals traffic volume falls back by 32 %, due to last summer s poor harvest. Following an exceptional year in 2015, exports of grain and cereals decrease by 32 %, standing at 1.3 MT as compared with 1.9 MT the previous year, as a result of last summer s poor harvest. The low yield and inconsistent quality penalized France s offer, which was not as well placed to respond to international demand as in the two preceding years. Imports of dry bulk products used to manufacture animal feedstuffs stand at 1.8 MT, recording a 16 % decrease compared to the previous year. This result is related both to the economic difficulties encountered by livestock farmers in Greater Western France, and to new regulatory measures regarding storage in port-based silos. The abundant grain and cereals harvest in 2015 also affected cattle feed imports, as the surplus was used on livestock farms. 11/14

12 The volumes of bulk cargo for the construction and general industrial sectors show an upturn. The gradual recovery of the building and civil engineering market is felt in the imports of cement and clinker (+ 14 %) as well as in terms of marine sand traffic (+ 4 %). Exports of bulk recycled scrap metal to Turkey, North Africa and Spain increase by nearly 6 %. Energy-related throughput progresses by more than 5 %. Following a previous year marked by the five-year planned shutdown of the Donges refinery, crude oil imports increased by 12 %, driven by the low cost of a barrel of crude at the start of the year. Refined hydrocarbon traffic fell back by 14 %. Coal imports suffered a 30 % decrease. A mild winter and the continuation of work to upgrade the thermal power station at Cordemais significantly restricted fuel requirements, even though the first signs of a recovery were noted at the end of Liquefied natural gas (LNG) traffic rises again, exceeding the 2 MT mark for the first time since The LNG industrial complex at Montoir de Bretagne benefitted from the rebalancing of prices between Europe and Asia, linked to a progressive upturn in activity at Japan s nuclear power plants and to lower demand from China. Moreover, the emergence of new producing countries (Angola, Australia, USA, etc.) has expanded the LNG offer worldwide. For the first time since 2012, liquefied natural gas hits the 2 MT threshold. 12/14

13 invested nearly 30 million euros in This significant effort will continue in 2017, in line with the financial trajectory associated with the strategic plan. That trajectory notably integrates the financing provisions of the Central Government Regional Government planning agreement. Moreover, so as to help to strengthen the competitiveness of the Port Community, has decided not to increase the port dues in Helping to Strengthen the Competitiveness of the Port Community For 2017, has decided not to apply any price increases to the tariff of port dues, with a view to helping to strengthen the competitiveness of the Loire Estuary Port Community. Investments In 2016, invested almost 20 million euros (M ) in major development projects, notably the Montoir de Bretagne general cargo and container terminal extension, the centre of industrial and logistical operations at Montoir de Bretagne and the Saint Nazaire logistics hub. Nearly 10 M were spent on upgrading Port Authority property, including the floating dock and the docking facility at the Le Pellerin maintenance workshops. The 2017 investment programme will represent an amount close to 40 M. It includes the restructuring of the Saint Nazaire industrial and port activity zone, the development of the Montoir de Bretagne centre of industrial and logistical operations, the development of the rail infrastructures and the reinforcement work on the quays at the Quai de la Prise d'eau and Joubert Dock facilities, which will be used for the MRE logistics hub. Part of the investments will be devoted to preserving port property, including work to upgrade the mobile structures in Saint Nazaire. EU Funding In February 2016, contributed to two applications for co-financing within the framework of a call for proposals issued by the European Commission as part of the Connecting Europe Programme. These proposals were given due consideration by the European Commission and the funding decision was approved on 8 th July. The first proposal, entitled "Nantes Saint Nazaire Gijón Motorway of the Sea", corresponds to the takeover of the maritime motorway between Gijón and Montoir de Bretagne. The Ports of Gijón and Nantes Saint Nazaire both contributed to this dossier alongside the operator, Transportes Riva. The second proposal, entitled "S/F Samuel LNG for a Blue Atlantic Arch", was put together to permit the dredger Samuel de Champlain to be converted to a natural gas engine system. The project is coordinated by the GIE Dragages Ports Port Dredging Group and supported by some ten partners, including the Ports of Le Havre and Rouen, as well as the Spanish Ports of Vigo and Gijón. It could develop a commercial offer for LNG powered vessels. 13/14

14 2017 will mark both the completion and the start of some major projects. Some significant stages in terms of sustainable development will also be carried through. The first work operations on the Saint Nazaire industrial and port activity zone regeneration project will begin in January, with the demolition of the bunkers and old buildings located on the future route of Boulevard des Apprentis. At the same time, the second phase of development work on the MRE logistics hub will commence in the spring, with the reinforcement of the Quai de la Prise d'eau quay. This stage will be followed in the second half of the year by the consolidation of the quay of the Joubert Dock. The worksite of the 350-metre quay extension at the Montoir de Bretagne general cargo and container terminal. The 350-metre quay extension at the Montoir de Bretagne general cargo and container terminal will come into service in the autumn of This large-scale work project was begun in September 2015 and will have generated hours of work. The development will provide a response to changes in container shipping traffic, notably as regards the growth of the world s fleet, and to the handling requirements for industrial cargo consignments. A plan for the management of the natural spaces on the East Donges site is expected to be validated at the end of the first quarter of It is true to say that, for several years now, has engaged in an approach aimed at controlling the impact of its activities on the environment. Being responsible for managing hectares of natural spaces out of the total Port Authority land area of hectares, the Port Authority strives notably to contribute to the efforts to gain greater knowledge of and to preserve the biodiversity of the Loire Estuary. The major sites located at Bouguenais, Le Carnet, Montoir de Bretagne and East Donges thereby form the subject of detailed inventories. The East Donges site. On the south bank of the River Loire, at the Le Carnet port facility in the Subdivision of Frossay, plans to develop a 110-hectare industrial park dedicated to renewable forms of energy and to restore 285 hectares of natural environments. Pursuant to a Prefectoral Authority Order dated 12 th December 2016, a public inquiry began on 9 th January in the Subdivisions of Frossay, Saint-Viaud, Paimboeuf and Lavau-sur-Loire, and will continue until 9 th February. This stage comes before the granting of planning permission, which is expected next spring. is a partner of The Bridge, the international event which will be held in June, in celebration of 100 years of fraternal relations between France and the USA. On that occasion, the Joubert Dock will be welcoming the cruise liner Queen Mary II, which will then be lining up alongside some multihulls for a first-ever race between Saint Nazaire and New York. 14/14