In 2015, more than 3.3 million heavy goods vehicles and 33 million passengers passed through the Port of Calais using the tunnel and port facilities. By 2030, cross-Channel traffic is expected to increase by 40%.
Port of Calais: the largest passenger port in continental Europe.
Calais, France
To cope with the increase in maritime traffic, Egis is assisting the Société des Ports du Détroit with the necessary developments, thus enabling the Port to confirm its local and international importance.
Client
Société des Ports du Détroit
Timeline
July 2015 - January 2021
Environmental benefits
- A cleaner alternative to air and road traffic
- 3 times less CO2 by river than by road (for a tonnage of 1,500t)
Awards
“Port of the Year 2021 Award” to Ferry Shipping Summit
The leading passenger port in continental Europe.
Accommodating future generations of ferries.
By creating a 90-hectare navigable basin, the port will be able to accommodate new-generation 240-meter ships and allow several of them to manoeuvre in the basin at the same time. The basin is protected by a 3.2km long breakwater, the symbolic part of which is its shell made of 16,500 Xblocs®, designed to withstand the 100-year storms and rising water levels of the next 100 years.
The cross-Channel platform, made from dredged sand from the basin, allows vehicles to be pre-boarded along a 20 km stretch of road, as well as service buildings and control posts.
In addition to this activity, the Port of Calais also relies on rail freight and encourages the opening of new piggyback lines.
The project also takes into account future long-term operating possibilities, allowing for the further extension of the berthing areas and new berths for future development phases.
A modern, sustainable and efficient port.
Egis services cover a wide range of technical, environmental and regulatory issues, in particular for the preparation of the public service delegation file, the design-build contract and the asset management strategy.
Led by our Water & Ports teams, this project mobilises many other Group expertises: roads and various networks, engineering structures, traffic patterns, railways, geotechnics, buildings, operating and safety systems and landscaping. Particular attention was given to the environmental aspect, in order to ensure a sustainable project.
Thus, Egis inaugurated 3.2km of dyke capable of absorbing the effects of swell and sea level rise by 2,100; 200 hectares of dock, 65 hectares of new open spaces with roads, parking lots, lighting, 8 engineering structures and several dozen buildings, before their entry into service on the cross-Channel ferry link between Calais and Dover.
Redeveloping the Port of Calais: an economical, collaborative and innovative project.
The Société des Ports du Détroit has chosen Egis to assist it, via a project management assistance mission (AMO), in the redevelopment of the Port of Calais.
Egis first conducted analyses and followed up on the administrative procedures and files, in relation with the authorities concerned. Egis then managed the design and build contract.
Egis was in charge of:
- Managing the technical, financial and legal changes of contracts
- Assisting in relations with the lenders’ advisors
- Monitoring the relations with the Société d’Exploitation des Ports du Détroit (concessionnaire)
- Assisting in the management of contract acceptance operations
- Managing and programming the contract completion and pre-delivery operations of the Port of Calais 2015 project
- Managing and monitoring the related contracts
- Finally, Egis was responsible for other technical, environmental and/or administrative expertise.
Ensuring the position of the Port of Calais, locally and internationally.
The Port of Calais, throughout this project, represents:
- 863 million euros of investment,
- Prefabricated block pier over 3km long
65 hectares of new land, 45 of which are reclaimed from the sea - 4 million m3 of dredging
- 3 deed water quays for the latest generation of ferries
- 8 highway structures
- 31 buildings
In concrete terms, this implies major impacts in various fields.
Firstly, this project represents significant economic opportunities, both locally and nationally. Indeed, increasing the port’s capacity will ensure a greater flow of trade and tourism. It also creates jobs, bringing economic benefit to the region, but not only.
Indeed, this project also presents social opportunities. The redevelopment of the Port of Calais will improve the living conditions of the people in the region by creating jobs, both for the proper functioning of the port and in the field of tourism thanks to the flow of passengers.
Finally, the Port of Calais project responds to a sustainable development issue, as it encourages the expansion of maritime transport, which emits less carbon than air or road transport.
