With the introduction of new liner services, business locations by new port stakeholders and the deployment of partnerships, for the Nantes - Saint Nazaire Port Authority 2012 marks the strengthening of its international relationships. While broadening its logistical service offer, the Port Authority is embarking on strong industrial development initiatives, notably with the emergence of marine renewable energy. In a difficult economic context, the Nantes - Saint Nazaire Port Authority has chosen to maintain its development-oriented investments. Furthermore, it will soon be engaging in a wide-ranging consultation regarding the development of the downriver port facilities on the Loire Estuary moving towards 2020. An Extension of the Logistical Service Offer The Development and Emergence of Industrial Activities The Continual Improvement of the Port System 2013: Investments and Consultation Appendices Contrasting Changes in Port Traffic Levels in 2012 The Role and Composition of the Port Authority s Governance Bodies (the Management Board, the Supervisory Board and the Development Board) and the Main Issues Discussed in 2012 A New Identity for the Nantes - Saint Nazaire Port Authority
An Extension of the Logistical Service Offer 2012 is characterized by the introduction of several new shipping services and a strengthening of the actions taken at an international level. Work on developing inland waterway and rail transportation was also undertaken over this period. New Liner Services The Montoir de Bretagne container terminal is the last port of call for shipping services outbound from Metropolitan France and the first port of call inbound from Guadeloupe and Martinique. In January 2012, a weekly import service based in part on the consignments of bananas bound for ripening stores in Western France was added to the existing export shipping service provision, which has been operational for over twenty years. Operated by the CMA CGM Shipping Line, this service is used by the Federation of Guadeloupe and Martinique Banana Producers. In September 2012, a delegation led by Jean-Pierre Chalus, the Chairman of the Port Authority s Management Board, and by Jean-François Gendron, the Chairman of the Nantes - Saint Nazaire Chamber of Commerce and Industry, paid a visit to shippers and partners in the French West Indies. The mission served to strengthen the economic ties with the French West Indies as well as with the Caribbean and the northern part of South America via the maritime hubs of Fort de France and Pointe à Pitre. Fret Cetam, a subsidiary of the Louis-Dreyfus Armateurs Shipping Line and of the Norwegian company Leif Höegh, launched a new weekly ro-ro service in April 2012, in response to the stepping up of production of Airbus aircraft (A380, A320, A330, A340 and A350). Named Milk Run Med, the service calls at ports located close to Airbus factories or to the facilities of its subcontractors: Saint Nazaire, Pauillac, Tunis, Naples and Cádiz. As the ro-ro vessel Bore Sea is of a multi-purpose, Ro-Flex type design, the service can also cater for other types of traffic and for refrigerated trailers. Since November 2012, a new shipping service now links the Montoir de Bretagne terminal to Saint Petersburg. Acting as an extension of the French Baltic Saint Petersburg service, the rotation operated by the CMA CGM Shipping Line offers direct access to the Russian market for Western France s exporters, in particular those in the agri-foodstuffs sector. Maintaining Ro-Ro Traffic Levels in a Difficult Economic Context At the end of 2012, Spanish shipping line Suardiaz was the successful bidder following the request for tenders by logistics provider Gefco regarding the transportation of vehicles and components between the PSA Group s factory in Vigo and the Montoir de Bretagne facility. The vessel Suar Vigo will provide the 2 weekly rotations on the long-established service between Montoir de Bretagne and Vigo. She made her first call on 8 th January 2013. It should be noted that this service has been the worst affected by the difficult economic conditions in the Iberian Peninsula and by the contraction of the French motor vehicle market, with car traffic having notably fallen by 18 %. Passenger throughput and new vehicle traffic levels on the maritime motorway between Montoir de Bretagne and Gijón have progressed by 12 % and by 14 % respectively; the number of semi-trailers has stabilized overall. On 6 th December 2012, GLD Atlantique, the company operating the maritime motorway, was the recipient of a prize awarded by the Office for the Promotion of Short-Sea Operations. With 3 departures per week in both directions, the maritime motorway service does indeed show an average occupancy rate of 42 % for trailers and of 127 % for new vehicles. It should be noted that at the 22 nd Franco-Spanish Summit Meeting held on 10 th October 2012, the French and Spanish Governments also praised the level of performance of the maritime motorway between the Ports of Nantes - Saint Nazaire and Gijón. The two countries intend to continue their efforts to develop combined transport by opening a second maritime motorway linking Algeciras, Vigo, Montoir de Bretagne and Le Havre. 2/10
Based at the Montoir de Bretagne ro-ro terminal for the past 2 years, logistics provider CAT set up a vehicle preparation centre in June 2012, on behalf of Renault. The service offer currently covers the removal of protective materials from the vehicles, cleaning the outside and inside of the vehicles, operating checks and equipment installation. It could soon extend to vehicle customization, including the fitting of accessories and interior trim. Strengthened International Relationships In June 2012, the Nantes - Saint Nazaire Port Authority welcomed trainees under the international training programme TrainForTrade, which is run by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Experts from the Marseille Port Authority, the Nantes Saint Nazaire Port Authority, terminal operator TGO Great Western Terminal and the Nantes - Saint Nazaire Chamber of Commerce and Industry provided instruction for 27 trainees from 10 countries (Benin, Djibouti, Cameroon, the Comoros, the Ivory Coast, Gabon, Guinea, Haiti, Senegal and Togo). The Port Authority paid two visits to China last year. In June, alongside the Port Authorities of La Rochelle and Bordeaux, it exhibited at the Transport & Logistics China Trade Show, which was held in Shanghai. In addition to establishing many contacts with Chinese freight forwarders, importers and exporters, the visit also provided the opportunity to meet representatives of the Qingdao Port Authority, within the framework of the twinning arrangements between the Pays de la Loire Region and the Province of Shandong. The contacts thus made served as the opening for discussions on how to develop and to diversify the shipments between the two Ports. In December, Francis Bertolotti, the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Nantes - Saint Nazaire Port Authority, and Jean-Pierre Chalus, the Chairman of the Management Board, were part of a delegation which was led by Pays de la Loire Regional Authority Chairman Jacques Auxiette on a visit to the same province. On the occasion of this visit, a partnership agreement was signed by the Ports of Qingdao and Nantes - Saint Nazaire, relating notably to the sharing of information and to the development of trade exchanges in the forest products sector. A representative of the Port of Nantes - Saint Nazaire will be joining the Pays de la Loire Regional Authority s permanent representation in Qingdao in the summer of 2013. Furthermore, the Nantes - Saint Nazaire Port Authority also played its part in organizing two international events in 2012. The fourth edition of MARISK, the International Forum on Maritime and Port Risk Prevention, was held in Nantes in January and was attended by 420 participants from 17 countries. The 13 th AIVP World Conference of Cities and Ports took place in Saint Nazaire and Nantes in June. Over 450 participants represented 46 nations at the event. The Expected Development of Rail and Inland Waterway Transport Services The Nantes - Saint Nazaire Port Authority has owned its port-based rail network since September 2008. It was granted approval by the French National Rail Safety Board (EPSF) in November 2010 and appointed Europorte to manage the network on its behalf from May 2011. The Port Authority undertook a number of actions during 2012 with the aim of improving the initial situation. A long-term maintenance plan, a connection agreement with French Network Rail Organization RFF (Réseau Ferré de France), connection agreements with industrial firms and port-based rail network user agreements with rail companies have all been drawn up. At the end of 2011, the Port Authority instituted a study aimed at defining a port-based rail infrastructure development plan. The findings of this study, which comes under the terms of the partnership agreement between Central, Regional and Local Government, were delivered at the end of September 2012. Several actions will be undertaken further to those findings in 2013, notably regarding the appointment of a local rail service operator. A working party was formed by the Development Board of the Nantes - Saint Nazaire Port Authority in order to study the conditions for the development of the inland waterway transportation of cargo on the Loire Estuary. It was found that the distance of 60 kilometres separating the downriver and upriver port facilities makes it difficult for the service to achieve economic equilibrium, notably for containerized freight. On the other hand, logistical solutions appear possible for other types of traffic, including heavy-lift and voluminous cargo consignments, waste products and building materials. Furthermore, a link by barge already exists today for the transportation of Airbus s industrial cargo consignments between the Company s Bouguenais factory, which is located near the Nantes Cheviré port facility, and its Montoir de Bretagne factory. 3/10
This service could be used for other types of traffic if there is no incompatibility in relation to the aircraft manufacturer s own consignments, as regards loading and type of cargo. Operational studies regarding these different points will be undertaken in 2013 by the Port Authority, carrying on the work already done by the Development Board. 4/10
The Development and Emergence of Industrial Activities Business locations, factories being built, investments Side by side with logistics providers, the port facilities on the downriver section of the Loire Estuary assert their industrial vocation. 2012 is marked among other events by the establishment of the marine renewable energy sector on the Loire Estuary. Consolidation of Cargill s Activities at the Saint Nazaire Facility In 2012, the Nantes - Saint Nazaire Port Authority renewed for a period of 23 years the temporary port area occupancy permit issued to industrial company Cargill. The factory has been located beside the dock area in Saint Nazaire since 1964. The manufacturer has committed to an investment programme totalling 60 million euros (M ) over the next ten years, including 5 M in 2013. The investments notably concern the utilization of by-products and the improvement of its industrial process performances, including on an environmental level. A Clinker Crushing and Grinding Plant at Montoir de Bretagne Having completed the construction of its clinker crushing and grinding plant at Montoir de Bretagne in 2012, cement company Ciments Kercim began a phase of work acceptance testing, adjustments and trials in January 2013. By the spring of this year, the cement manufacturer should have been granted the CE certification required in order to start selling cement in bulk and in bags. The clinker is to be imported from cement works located close to Mediterranean or Western European ports and will be crushed and ground at Montoir de Bretagne. The cement produced will go to firms in the building and civil engineering sector, including building material distributors in Greater Western France. The location of the Ciments Kercim plant at Montoir de Bretagne represents an investment of 45 M and will create 45 jobs. A Water Purification Plant at Montoir de Bretagne The work on building a treatment facility in the Montoir de Bretagne port activity zone, started in April 2011 by the Saint Nazaire Urban Area District Authority and the Nantes - Saint Nazaire Port Authority as cocontracting authorities, was completed at the end of 2012. Since November, waste water from the Subdivisions of Montoir de Bretagne, Saint Joachim, Saint Malo de Guersac, Saint Nazaire and Trignac have been treated at the new water purification plant, which will soon be treating the wash water from the quays at the Montoir de Bretagne multi-bulk terminal. The operational tests will be completed in February 2013. Emergence of the Marine Renewable Energy Sector The strategic plan adopted in June 2009 by the Port Authority s Supervisory Board makes reference to marine renewable energy (MRE). The request for tenders issued by Central Government in 2011 regarding the creation of offshore wind farms has accelerated the emergence of an MRE sector, the Port Authority s aim being to propose a logistical and property development offer designed to meet the requirements of candidate industrial companies and consortia, both for the installation of Atlantic wind farms and in terms of coverage of international markets. Three port facilities on the downriver section of the Loire Estuary are seen as complementary to that purpose. On 16 th December 2011, the Supervisory Board approved plans for the creation of a centre for industrial operations at the Montoir de Bretagne port facility. It is soon to accommodate the factories that will build the wind turbine nacelles and alternators produced by the Alstom Group; the French Prime Minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault, laid the foundation stone of the new plant on 21 st January 2013. The port activity zone was chosen as the site for these installations in view of the dimensional characteristics and logistics of the future assemblies and of the proximity to the existing industrial fabric. 5/10
The port-based offer provides for the establishment of a marine renewable energy eco-technology park at Le Carnet, located on the south bank of the Loire Estuary in the Subdivisions of Frossay and Saint Viaud. The Alstom Group unveiled a prototype offshore wind turbine, the Haliade 150, on that site in April 2012. The Port Authority has also worked on plans to make available a 12-hectare logistics hub in the Saint Nazaire sector. The EDF New Energy Consortium could use this area for the reception, storage and pre-assembly of and port-based logistics for the components of the offshore wind turbines destined for the future wind farms off the Atlantic coastline. The choice should be made in the course of the second half of 2013, following the public consultation regarding the future Saint Nazaire offshore wind farm. 6/10
The Continual Improvement of the Port System Several private-sector terminal operators have undertaken investments with a view to helping their business to develop. Having secured ISO 9001 certification in 2005 and ISO 14001 certification in 2011, the Nantes - Saint Nazaire Port Authority has for its part carried out large-scale maintenance work and commissioned new plant and equipment. An Operational Organization for Terminal Operations 2012 marks the first full year of operation of the terminals by the different port operators. For the record, in upriver to downriver order: the Roche Maurice grain terminal is operated by Sonastock (part of the InVivo Group); the other Nantes facilities excluding the grain terminal are run by an operating subsidiary of the Nantes - Saint Nazaire Port Authority called NPT (Nantes Port Terminal); the Montoir de Bretagne coal terminal is operated by OTCM (Opérateur de Terminal Charbonnier de Montoir or Montoir Coal Terminal Operator), a company that is 60 % owned by EDF Trading Logistics and 40 % owned by Sea Invest; berths N s 1 to 3 at the Montoir de Bretagne multi-bulk terminal are run by MBT (Montoir Bulk Terminal), a joint venture by Sea Invest (67 %) and by the MTTM La Fraternelle Group (33 %); berth N 4 of the Montoir de Bretagne multi-bulk terminal is operated by TMV4, a joint venture in which Sonastock (InVivo Group) and Atlantique Négoce (Holcim Group) hold equal 50 % shares; the Montoir de Bretagne general cargo and container terminal is run by TGO (Terminal du Grand Ouest or Great Western Terminal). The Saint Nazaire terminal, at which the port plant and equipment operations have been classified as being of secondary importance under French Law, is operated by the Nantes - Saint Nazaire Port Authority. Several operators have undertaken investments as of this first year of operation in order to assist their business development. TGO has brought into service an extension to the platform designed to handle consignments of scrap metal. Operator TMV4 has installed fencing in compliance with ISPS (International Ship and Port Facility Security) Standards and a medium-voltage substation. MBT has renewed the plant and equipment at berth N 2 of the multi-bulk terminal. Several pieces of machinery have been replaced by a Liebherr HMK 550 crane, which is capable of lifting 50 tonnes at 38 metres and of handling Panamax-type vessels (up to 294 metres in length and 32 metres in breadth). The new crane came into operation in September 2012. For Idea Groupe, which is one of MBT s two shareholders, this purchase is part of an overall programme of investment in the amount of 70 M over 5 years. Ship Repair and Maintenance Services The Port Authority, which has a department providing technical maintenance services, signed plant and equipment maintenance agreements (covering conventional cranes, gantry cranes, conveyors, etc.) with operators MBT and OTCM in June and July 2011 and with NPT and TGO in January and February 2012. The Port Authority s teams also provide ship repair services. Between March and October 2012, the stationary dredger André Gendre stayed in dock so that the vessel s heat engines, hydraulic control system and dredging boom could be replaced. From needs assessment to work acceptance, and including the building of the dredging boom and the definition of the prevention plans, this project was undertaken entirely for the first time by Port Authority personnel. The new downstream gate of Saint Nazaire s Louis Joubert sluice dock came into service at the start of 2012. This brought to a close 4 years of work by engineering company Eiffage Construction Métallique. The refurbishment was wholly financed by the Port Authority and represents an investment of 18 M. 7/10
A New Reception Facility for Seafarers A new reception facility for seafarers working on the Nantes - Saint Nazaire Port Authority s dredgers came into service in January 2012 at Montoir de Bretagne. Inspired by naval architecture, the high environmental quality building represents an investment of 1.2 M. A Dynamic System for Tensioning Mooring Lines The Nantes - Saint Nazaire Port Authority and the firm Fouré Lagadec Atlantique filed letters patent in 2012 with the French National Industrial Property Institute (INPI), in France and in Europe. The invention is based on a dynamic system for tensioning mooring lines enabling large vessels to be maintained securely in position alongside quay. The primary function of this hydraulic unit is to tension or to detension onshore mooring lines automatically while still offering the means to cast off quickly. A prototype of the new system was installed in 2010. In view of the results that have been obtained, the Port Authority invested in ten units of this type for oil tanker berth N 7 at Donges during 2012. 8/10
2013: Investments and Consultation In a difficult economic context, the Nantes - Saint Nazaire Port Authority has chosen to maintain its development-oriented investments. Four major development projects decided upon in 2012 will go ahead in 2013. At the same time, a wide-ranging consultation will be undertaken regarding the longterm spatial organization of the downriver facilities on the Loire Estuary. A High Level of Investment Several context-related factors, including the significant fall in natural gas imports, led to the revision of the 2012 budget. Approved by the Supervisory Board in June, the measures made it possible to achieve appreciable savings on operating costs while also preserving a level of investment amounting to 17.7 M. Over the next five years, four operations designed to drive development and diversification will be carried out at the port facilities. At Montoir de Bretagne, the plans involve the creation of a centre for industrial operations oriented towards marine renewable energy, the extension of the container terminal and the construction of a ro-ro berth. In Saint Nazaire, they concern the establishment of a logistics hub for the offshore wind power sector. Over the period 2012-2016, the four development operations represent an investment in the order of 80 million euros (M ), to which can be added the 40 M to be devoted to upgrading the property under Port Authority ownership (quays, buildings, landing stages, etc.), making a total of 120 M. These operations will receive 42 M in funding from Central Government and from Regional and Local Government (the Pays de la Loire Regional Authority, the Loire Atlantique Departmental Authority, Nantes Metropolitan District Council and the Saint Nazaire Urban Area District Authority). At the end of 2012, the Port Authority entered into a process of consultation with banks so as to secure a further 56 M and thereby complete its financial plan. The choice of partner financial institution will be made in February 2013. Consultation on the Spatial Organization of the Downriver Port Facilities A first orientation regarding the long-term future of the port areas located in the downriver section of the Loire Estuary was approved by the Supervisory Board of the Nantes - Saint Nazaire Port Authority in June 2012. The spatial organization plan specifies the vocation of the main zones comprising an overall space that extends from the Le Carnet site as far as Saint Nazaire: port activities, industrial activities, logistical zones, areas of environmental interest, overland and inland waterway connections, etc. In response notably to the requirements of the marine renewable energy sector, the provisions incorporate the creation of a centre for industrial operations at Montoir de Bretagne, in addition to the logistical facility that was initially planned. The new organization of the downriver port areas, including the building of an intermodal logistical service offer that relies on the development of capacity at the ro-ro and container terminals, involves the reconfiguration of spaces and activities. 9/10
In the coming months, the Port Authority will be engaging in a wide-ranging consultation in order to share its desire for balanced territorial spaces, to present its vision of Loire Estuary development moving towards 2020 and to discuss the many socio-economic and environmental issues involved. This phase of discussion will be preliminary to the statutory proceedings relating to the development of the various sites, which will include the submission of proposals to the National Public Debate Commission on the Le Grand Tourteau Zone in Saint Nazaire. The Expected Renewal of Dredging Authorizations In April 2012, the Nantes - Saint Nazaire Port Authority submitted an application for consideration by the Loire Atlantique Prefectoral Authority regarding the renewal of authorizations relating to dredging operations for the purpose of maintaining the shipping channel and its installations and the disposal of extracted materials at sea, on the La Lambarde site. The application covered dredging operations using the waterinjection technique, which has been employed on an experimental basis by the Port Authority since 2006. A public inquiry was opened in some thirty subdivisions of the Departments of Loire Atlantique and Vendée between 3 rd December 2012 and 4 th January 2013. The Prefectoral Authority order should be issued in April 2013. 10/10