The Port Authority of Le Havre is a state agency responsible for managing the port. The Port of Le Havre is France's second busiest port and the fifth biggest port in Northern Europe. It is the largest container port in France and a major oil port, handling some 40% of France's crude oil cargoes. The Port of Le Havre is a multi-purpose commercial port with a wide range of terminals that can process all types of cargo. The Port of Le Havre also serves passengers traveling between the United Kingdom and France as well as passengers aboard international cruise vessels.
In 2008, the Grand Port Maritime du Havre (GPM) replaced the Autonomous Port of LeHavre in an effort by the French Government to reform port management nationwide. The GPM is tasked with re-focusing port authority missions and developing ports, simplifying and streamlining cargo-handling activities, modernizing administrative systems for ports, improving the management of port investments, and integrating sustainable development into ports.
To accomplish these tasks, the GPM has the following specific assignments applicable to all French ports:
- Completing, operating, and maintaining maritime access ways;
- Providing police, security, and safety within ports;
- Managing and preserving natural property and areas;
- Building and maintaining port infrastructure;
- Marketing rail and waterway services;
- Developing and managing industrial and logistics zones; and
- Generally marketing ports.
The Supervisory Board for the Port of LeHavre contains 17 members that represent the state, regional and local authorities, port staff, and experts from maritime and business groups. The port authority for the Port of LeHavre controls the movement of ships arriving and departing the port as well as movements within the Port of Le Havre. It employs state-of-the-art facilities and technologies to assure the safety and efficiency of port operations and makes information available over the Internet for port customers' convenience. The Port of Le Havre authority also polices the harbor area, monitors dangerous goods, and organizes pollution control activities.
The Port of Le Havre covers an area that extends 27 kilometers from east to west and, at its widest, five kilometers from north to south. The Port of Le Havre covers more than ten thousand hectares and includes zones dedicated to sea traffic and to industry-related port activities. The Port of Le Havre includes more than two thousand hectares of environmentally-protected lands within the nature reserve of the Seine Estuary. Access to the Port of Le Havre is provided by a diverse infrastructure. A shipping canal serves the industrial complex that can accommodate the largest trans-oceanic liners. A river channel connects the Port of Le Havre to the River Seine. The Port of Le Havre also has direct links to the nation's highway, railway, and inland waterway networks.
The Port of LeHavre is France's second largest port, and it is the fifth biggest port in North Europe. The Port of LeHavre is the major port in France for container traffic, and almost half of France's crude oil passes through the terminals at the Port of LeHavre.
The Port of LeHavre is strategically located as the first major port on the shores of Northern Europe. The Port of LeHavre is the first port of call for vessels sailing the English Channel and the North Sea trade routes, representing about 25% of world cargo trade. The Port of LeHavre is a stop for the round trips of the world's large liner ships.
The deep-water Port of LeHavre can accommodate the largest ocean-borne commercial vessels on a 24-hour basis throughout the year. Some ten container vessels visit the Port of LeHavre every day. The Port of LeHavre is truly a multi-purpose port with a wide range of terminals that can process any type of cargo and passengers crossing the English Channel or aboard international cruise ships.
In 2011, the Port of Le Havre handled over 68.5 million tons of cargo, with liquid bulk (41.4 million tons) and containers (21.6 million tons) dominating all cargo volume. Dry bulk cargoes were only 3.1 million tons in 2011, a significant reduction over prior years, largely as a result of the reduced volumes of coal traveling through the Port of LeHavre.
Containerized cargoes represented 32% of the cargo handled in the Port of LeHavre in 2011 when the port handled more than 2.2 million TEUs of containerized cargo. The Port of LeHavre handled 365 thousand vehicles at its roll-on/roll-off terminal in 2011, representing an increase despite France's suffering automotive market. Crude oil (27.5 million tons) represented a major part of liquid bulk cargoes, and the volume of refined products in the Port of LeHavre fell in 2011 to 11.7 million tons. The Port of LeHavre handled 1.7 million tons of liquid bulk chemicals.
The Port of LeHavre enjoyed a busy year for passenger traffic in 2011, with 537 thousand passengers moving through the port. The number of cruise passengers revealed a marked increase compared to 2010: over 193 thousand cruise passengers visited the Port of LeHavre in 2011 compared to almost 129 thousand cruise passengers in 2010. Ferry traffic crossing the English Channel to/from the Port of LeHavre was also busy, with 343 thousand passengers making the trip in 2011 compared to almost 126 thousand in 2010.
Imports entering the Port of LeHavre in 2011 came on 5885 ships carrying a total of over 50.2 million tons of cargo, including 9.9 million tons in 947.7 thousand TEUs of containerized cargo. The Port of LeHavre imported almost 36.8 million tons of liquid bulk cargoes, dominated by almost 27.4 million tons of crude oil and nearly 7.8 million tons of refined petroleum products. The remaining liquid bulk cargoes imported through the Port of LeHavre in 2011 were saturated hydrocarbon gases and other liquid bulk. The Port of LeHavre imported nearly 2.8 million tons of solid bulk cargoes in 2011 including 1.3 million tons of coal and 1.2 million tons of sand, gravel, and stone. The port welcomed almost 361.6 passengers in 2011 that came to the Port of LeHavre.
Exports leaving the Port of LeHavre in 2011 totaled 18.3 million tons, including 11.7 million tons of containerized cargo in nearly 198.2 thousand TEUs, the single largest cargo type exported in 2011. The Port of LeHavre exported more than 4.6 million tons of liquid bulk cargoes in 2011, including 3.9 million tons of refined petroleum products. In 2011, the Port of LeHavre exported 273 thousand tons of solid bulk cargoes, including 221 thousand tons of cements. Over 353.7 thousand passengers departed the Port of LeHavre in 2011.
- Container terminals
The Port of Le Havre handles more than 60% of France's container traffic and has large-scale facilities that are constantly being developed to keep up with the increasing size of ships and cargo volumes. Port of LeHavre container facilities are located in the tidal docks (accommodating over-Panamax vessels) and behind the Francois I lock. These Port of Le Havre container facilities are combined on two terminal sites equipped with over 7.5 kilometers (4.7 miles) of quays served by about 30 gantry cranes. The Port of Le Havre offers related container services that include space for reefer containers, container repairs and rentals, and grouping/degrouping centers.
The Port of Le Havre's North container terminals include the Atlantic, Americas, Europe, Asia, Osaka, and Bougainville docks. They contain 96 hectares of back-up area and 22 thousand square meters of covered storage. The Terminal de France in the Port of LeHavre is operated by a subsidiary of DP World and CMA-CGM, Generale de Manutention Portuaire Company (French), and it contains 1050 meters (3445 feet) of quays equipped with ten super over-Panamax gantry cranes and three rail gantries. TOP Company (a partnership between the Perrigault Company and the Maersk Group) operates the Port of LeHavre's Terminal Porte Oceane with 700 meters (2296 feet) of quay that is equipped with four over-Panamax gantry cranes.
The Port of LeHavre's container terminals include ancillary services that support timely handling and movement of containers. These include but are not limited to parks for reefer containers, container rental and repair services, and centers for grouping/degrouping of containers.
- Bulk and breakbulk terminals
The Port of Le Havre is one of few ports in Northern Europe capable of serving fully-laden bulk carriers of over 80 thousand DWT. The Port of Le Havre has specialized terminals that handle coal and ore.
On the south bank of the Grand Canal du Havre, the Port of Le Havre's Multi-bulk Centre is designed for all types of dry bulk including fuel products, ores, and foodstuffs. The Centre can transfer cargoes directly from ships to barges and coasters. The main berth is equipped to unload ships to 180 DWT with 17.5 meters draft, and the terminal contains a berth for loading barges or coasters of up to eight thousand DWT. The storage yard has capacity for two million tons of cargo and has facilities for screening, grinding, mixing, storing, and re-forwarding dry bulk cargoes. The Compagnie Industrial des Pondereux du Havre is the concessionaire for the Port of Le Havre's Multi-bulk Centre and provides services for coal importers, electric companies, and cement works.
The Ore Centre in the Port of Le Havre's tidal dock can accommodate vessels to 300 meters in length and 180 thousand DWT. Also called Terminal MC-6, the Ore Centre, handles coal and coke destined for thermal plants and stations. The Port of LeHavre's Ore Centre has a main berth and a loading berth for coasters and river barges. The Ore Centre has a public storage yard with capacity for 530 thousand tons of cargo and a private yard with capacity for 250 thousand tons. The Centre is equipped with a loading tower for freight cars and trucks.
- Oil / liquid terminals
The Port of LeHavre handles about 40% of France's crude oil imports of over 37 million tons per year. As an important port for France's imports of crude oil, the Port of Le Havre delivers oil by pipeline to the large refineries in the Seine Valley and the Paris area. The Port of Le Havre's oil terminals can accommodate coasters and tankers up to 550 thousand DWT.
The Port of Le Havre 's Oil Port is located at the south end of the port and includes eight specialized berths. One berth can accommodate vessels to 280 DWT, and another can handle 230 DWT vessels. The Compagnie Industrielle Maritime (CIM) is the concessionaire of the facilities, handling and storing crude oil and refined products. CIM has storage capacity for 3.7 million cubic meters of cargo in the Port of LeHavre and offers de-ballasting and gas-freeing services.
The terminal at the Port of Le Havre-Antifer is located at the foot of the cliffs, directly open to the English Channel. This Port of LeHavre terminal can accommodate super-tankers of up to 550 thousand DWT. Also operated by CIM, the Port of Le Havre-Antifer oil terminal contains two wharves protected by a breakwater. The east berth can accommodate ships of over 270 meters in length, and the west berth can accommodate vessels of over 310 meters. The site contains storage areas for 664 thousand cubic meters of crude and fuel supplies, and the Port of LeHavre has unloading equipment that can handle 25 thousand cubic meters per hour, making it possible to offload a 550 thousand DWT ship in less than 30 hours. Offloads are forwarded by pipeline to the storage tanks in Le Havre for shipment to refineries. Transshipments move from wharf-to-wharf or from ship-to-ship.
- Cruise terminals
The Port of Le Havre has a long history of passenger service, particularly for passengers traveling the English Channel. In 2009, some 400 thousand passengers passed through the Port of LeHavre to/from South England and the continent by car-ferry. The Cross-Channel Terminal is located at the entrance to the Port of LeHavre and has direct connections with road networks. Located at the border between the Port of LeHavre and the city, the terminal is conveniently located for local sight-seeing.
The cross-channel operator provides two daily round-trip voyages between Portsmouth and the Port of LeHavre. The crossing takes from five to six hours on ships carrying over 1.8 thousand passengers and 120 vehicles. During the summer, the Ferry carries about 600 passengers and 60 lorries between the Port of Le Havre and Newhaven on a daily basis.
The Port of Le Havre is also a favorite calling point for trans-Atlantic liners traveling between Europe and New York in the United States. Its proximity to Paris makes the Port of Le Havre a gateway for tours to the world's romance capital as well as the Normandy region. Proud of its status as the birthplace of Impressionism, the Port of Le Havre is becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination on its own merit. Cruise passenger facilities are located in the tidal dock at the port entrance just a few steps from the city center.
In early 2010, the Grand Port Maritime du Havre and the local Tourist Office signed an agreement to promote the growth of cruise traffic in the Port of LeHavre. Today, the Port of LeHavre welcomes some 50 cruise vessel calls per year, and since the agreement was signed, there has been a marked increase in cruise visits to the Port of LeHavre.
- Rail and intermodal connections
Any port's competitive position depends on its accessibility by both sea and land. The Port of LeHavre has vast connections to the continent. In 2010, cargo moving through the Port of LeHavre was transported by river (9%), rail (6%), and road (84%).
The Port of LeHavre is located at the junction of the A131 and the A29 highways that connect to Europe's major road networks. Road transport is the most widely-used transport for the Port of LeHavre. More than ten thousand trucks operate in the Port of LeHavre every day, including some 3500 container-laden trucks. Highway A28 offers direct connection to southwest France, Spain, and Portugal.
The Port of LeHavre is connected to Europe's main high-performance rail networks as well. The Port of LeHavre is on the Seine River System and is connected by inland river to one of Europe's main consumer areas, the Ile-de-France region.
Some 3.4 million tons of goods, including 120 thousand TEUs of containerized cargo, passed by rail through the Port of LeHavre in 2010. Cargoes included in this rail transport include cars, trailers, and tank containers; energy products; chemical derivatives; petroleum products; and other bulk cargoes like corn, drinks, concrete, cement, mineral water, sugar, and slag.
Since late 2005, Naviland Cargo (French) has been the main operator for container rail services in the Port of LeHavre. A network of high-performance shuttles assures reliable services for combined rail transport and for short transit-time overnight hauls. The Port of LeHavre is served by three regular services. Five weekly trips move between the Port of LeHavre and Lyon. Between the Port of LeHavre and Bordeaux (French), there are also five weekly trips scheduled. There are two weekly trips between the Port of LeHavre and Strasbourg.
River transport connects the Port of LeHavre to the Paris consumer region. The Port of LeHavre is served by the River Seine which is accessible to 5000-ton pushed trains of barges carrying as many as 352 TEUs of containerized cargo. In 2010, river transport accounted for 5500 units and over 3.6 million tons to/from the Port of LeHavre. Of this total, 35% was fuel products and chemicals. Other cargoes traveling to/from the Port of LeHavre by river included building materials, containers, nearly 8000 new cars, and 157 thousand tons of household refuse.
- Port services
Port of Le Havre pilots must be on board of any ship over 70 meters long or carrying dangerous goods. Pilotage is not required for ships traveling the English Channel or North Sea; however, it is available and recommended.
The Port of LeHavre Harbour Office provides navigation assistance for vessels. Responsible for continuous monitoring of all sea transport, the Harbour Office prepares traffic forecasts, collects and disseminates information, coordinates operations, and provides radar coverage. The Port of LeHavre Harbour Office controls traffic, remotely controls peripheral equipment, oversees the berthing of ships, manages radio connections, and provides navigation assistance. The Port of LeHavre Harbour Office has state-of-the-art facilities backed up with total radar coverage of the approach zone, the basins, and the fairway. The Harbour Office in the Port of LeHavre is also responsible for policing the harbor area, organizing pollution control activities, and monitoring dangerous goods.
The Port of LeHavre community consists of over 120 forwarding agents as well as the agents for all major shipping lines. Other companies provide services for container repair and cleaning, packing, warehousing and distribution, incoming customs clearances, security, and the transport of specially-convoyed loads and heavy-lift cargoes. Private security companies supplement the security services provided by the Port of LeHavre Authority to protect port property and cargo. Inspection services are provided for imported foodstuffs at a combined site for veterinary and customs services for imported animal products. The plant health service controls and inspects imported vegetable food products moving through the Port of LeHavre.
Many international companies have chosen to locate in the new development area in the Port of LeHavre because the port provides all necessary facilities for developing their distribution businesses. The Port of LeHavre is therefore an efficient logistics hub that has streamlined warehousing and processing for goods, with a diverse set of value-added operations.
The Port of LeHavre offers more than 110 hectares of warehouse, and an additional 60 hectares is currently under development or construction. Logistics parks in the Port of LeHavre include a 30-hectare park operated by Prologis, the world's biggest logistics platform owner. The Prologis park in the Port of LeHavre contains four warehouses covering a total of 12.6 hectares, and a second logistics park of the same size is almost finished north of the current one. The Normandy Bridge Logistics Park, called Stockespace Le Havre (French). was completed in 2008 by Alsie. This Port of LeHavre park contains 19.6 hectares of world-class warehouses with additional warehouse space under construction. In late 2007, the Port of LeHavre signed an agreement with Gazeley to create 18.6 hectares of warehouse space at the Normandy Bridge Logistics Park.
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