The France new port of Calais was inaugurated on 9 September 2021 in the presence of Louis Le Franc, prefect of Pas-de-Calais, Xavier Bertrand, president of the Hauts-de-France region, Natacha Bouchart, Mayor of Calais, President of Grand Calais Terres & Mers, Jean-Marc Puissesseau, President of the Sociètè d’Exploitation des Ports du Dètroit, according to the company’s release.
The extension and modernization of the port of Calais represented ап investment of C863 million. An innovative financial package combining public and private funding from the Hauts-de-France Region, Europe, the Hauts-de-France Chamber of Commerce, and industry.
Delivered on May 6, the Port of Calais was officially inaugurated on September 9. It is scheduled to be commissioned in October. Located in the heart of one of the busiest, most active maritime straits in the world in terms of passenger and goods transport, the new Port of Calais was designed in 2002 оn the initiative of Calais’ Chamber of Commerce and industry, then concessionaire of the Port.
This port extension and modernization project was designed to anticipate and adapt to the development of cross-Channel traffic, new-generation ships, and the logistics and industrial needs of tomorrow. With heavy goods, traffic has practically doubled and а volume of cross-Channel freight which has tripled over the past 20 years, the infrastructure of the Port of Calais no longer made it possible to ensure optimal quality of service.
Once the port’s capacity limit had been reached, its extension appeared essential. The extension of the Port of Calais includes а seawall of more than 3 kilometers long, а 170-hectare basin, 90 hectares of which are navigable in the first phase, 65 hectares of platforms and roads, three new ferry berths, as well as 39 buildings necessary for the operation and secure reception of port customers.
То meet the challenges of the ecological transition, the port’s design incorporates the constraints of climate change and strictly respects commitments to preserve flora and fauna. The new Port of Calais represents а tremendous development opportunity for the Calais area and for the entire Hauts-de-France region.
