The Nantes – Saint-Nazaire Port has launched some major works. A major player in the development of MREs, with a planned dedicated area, it is a bridge between factories in the region and future offshore wind farms.
During the International Week of Transport and Logistics, Nantes – Saint-Nazaire Port highlighted its work in the MRE area. At this event, Jean-Pierre Chalus, CEO, notably made a presentation on “Offshore wind energy: ports welcoming a new industry.”
The energy sector accounts for 65% of traffic in Nantes – Saint Nazaire Port, the main port on the Atlantic coast, and since 2009, several projects have been launched to support the emergence of marine renewable energy in Pays de la Loire. The objective is twofold: to both attract investment from major French and international groups while promoting the development of local industry.
The Saint Nazaire MRE cluster in Montoir-de-Bretagne
Since 2014, the port has been working to set up a 12-hectare logistics cluster on the Saint-Nazaire site. Located next to the STX Anemos plant that produces the electrical substations for offshore wind farms in Europe, this hub will be dedicated to the reception, storage and pre-assembly of wind turbines destined for the Saint Nazaire wind farm in Loire-Atlantique and that of the Yeu and Noirmoutier islands in Vendée. This is an initial operational response to immediate needs, to be quickly followed by other major developments.
On the Montoir-de-Bretagne site, 30 hectares will also be dedicated to MREs. This industrial centre already hosts the GE plant that builds the Haliade 150, and the infrastructure will be adapted to meet the needs of the sector. The ferry terminal will be reorganised, and the industrial containers and packages terminal quay will be extended to 350 metres.
Carnet eco-industrial park
Further upstream on the south bank of the Loire, Carnet has been used for sea trials since 2012, including for the prototype of the Haliade 150. Ultimately, it is to host an eco-industrial park dedicated to renewable energies (110 hectares) and the restoration of natural habitat (290 hectares).
This park will complement the existing infrastructure and is to be connected by river to the Saint-Nazaire port and the Cheviré logistics platform in Nantes. It is to play a central role in the regional economy with the gradual emergence of various MRE technologies: Floating wind energy, tidal power, wave energy and more.
