French Minister of Transport visited Port of Marseille

Marseille, France (Ports Europe) August 9, 2017 - The port of Marseille aims to play a major role in the world maritime competition, said Élisabeth Borne, the French Minister of Transport who visited Marseille in August. It was mainly the different sectors of GPMM (Grand Port Maritime of Marseille, Marseille Port Authority) that the minister took the time to visit, including a stop in front of the electricity supply station for the ships of the French company La Méridionale, a gigantic facility which ended 2016 with a profit of €11 million ($12.98 million). In 2015, La Méridionale and the port of Marseille (GPMM) have taken further steps towards their sustainable development by installing shore connection (or cold ironing) technologies in their facilities. The shore connection solutions will reduce air pollution and the noise and vibrations of vessels’ generators at the port. The three ships of La Méridionale make about 500 annual stops in Marseille, which corresponds to a consumption of 2,150 tonnes of fuel. These stops can last up to 12 hours, with significant consequences for citizens’ health. Three ferries of La Méridionale - the Kalliste, Girolata and Piana - have been adapted to use ports’ electrical supply. This enables them to meet the increasingly stringent environmental regulations at berth, particularly, in terms of emissions. The system was supplied and installed on the ferries by a joint venture of Schneider Electric SE, a French multinational that specialises in energy management and automation solutions, spanning hardware, software, and services, and STX, located in St. Nazaire on the French Atlantic Coast. STX France is dedicated to maritime construction and services to operating floats. On port side, three positions are powered with shore connection facilities. The installation in the port has been designed by Schneider Electric. This electricity-based solution will prevent the release into the atmosphere of carbon dioxide (CO2) and particles equivalent to what it is produced by 3,277 cars making a daily round trip between Marseille and Aix-en-Provence (33.5 km), and the nitrogen oxide (NO) released daily by 65,178 vehicles on the same course. "The purpose of the visit was to show how the port of Marseille develops", said Christine Cabau-Woehrel, chairman of the board of GPMM. "We have sent a few messages to the minister, such as administrative simplification or support for mass ground services", said the official, who is anxious to obtain the state support for the port's growth strategy, and is convinced that the port can be successful. Borne said, "Marseille should be the gateway, with goods coming from Asia must reach Central Europe by river and train". Source: La Provence Copyright (c) Ports Europe. All Rights Reserved. 2017.

French Minister of Transport visited Port of Marseille

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French Minister of Transport visited Port of Marseille

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