Ports of Strasbourg: activities 2020 and perspectives 2021

Today, Anne-Marie Jean, President of the Ports of Strasbourg, in the presence of the general management, presented her best wishes to all the staff of the PAS Group. This annual event, which is 100% digital for the first time, is an opportunity to announce final figures of the year 2020 and to present the outlook for the future. In 2021, PAS will move to its new headquarters, in the heart of the first business zone in the area, the relocation of its subsidiary Rhine Europ Terminals will be operational and Batorama will launch innovating projects.

2020 traffic: maintaining a high level of service during the pandemic

Overall river traffic amounts to 6.8 million tons, down 9.5% compared to 2019. The downturn in the construction sector, observed in the first half of the year during the containment period, is reflected in the statistics. This trend can be observed throughout the Upper Rhine.

Rail traffic reached 1,230,000 tons, 60% of containers traffic, which is a tonnage below the excellent year 2019 (1,365,000 tons) but still a good performance for such a special year.

To maintain the logistics chain and guarantee supplies to businesses and individuals (energy, food, manufactured products), PAS group teams remained fully mobilized on site or in telecommuting, with no interruption in service.

The effects of the pandemic were specifically damaging on tourism activities of the Group. The year 2020 recorded fewer than 15,000 passengers on Rhine cruises whereas activity, which has been growing strongly since 2017, reached 230,000 passengers in 2019.

2020 is also a year of successful completion for RET.

On Rue de Saint-Nazaire in Strasbourg, the South container terminal has been completely redeveloped to extend the storage area, improve traffic flow, improve access for heavy goods vehicles and provide new work spaces for RET employees.

The subsidiary will move into its new premises in mid-March 2021.

Despite the context, Batorama continues its commitment to invest in a zero-emission and more flexible fleet. Offers are currently being analyzed for the construction of a pre-production electric boat in 2021, and the new fleet will also see the renewal of the reception docks.

Finally, through its new NAOS boat, Batorama will offer new services in 2021:

• Taxi boat with billing by the 1/4 hour;
• Lounge boat: Naos by Batorama with the possibility of renting it by the hour with additional services (champagne, gourmet basket etc…).

The ecological transition in action

PAS Group is continuing to implement its PHENIX corporate strategy, based in particular on accelerating investments and large-scale projects in favor of the ecological transition of the largest business park in the eastern part of France.

R-PAS : a low-carbon heating network at the port

It is the thermal energy dissipated by all the furnaces, boilers, reactors and machines used by industrial companies to produce goods and materials. This resource is an energy opportunity that the Ports of Strasbourg, R-CUA, a subsidiary of the semi-public company R-GDS, and the Banque des Territoires have decided to keep. The objective of the R-PAS Company is to convert waste heat into green energy. It will start operating in 2021 by recovering the heat emitted by the Blue Paper paper mill. Eventually, a potential of 160 GWh is to be exploited in the port, equivalent to the consumption of 35,000 homes.

Multimodality

Multimodal in nature, the Ports of Strasbourg wishes to give new impetus to rail traffic to strengthen this mode of mass transportation. Work to lengthen and electrify the tracks to accommodate higher capacity trains was completed in December 2020. It should be remembered that a train carries an average of 100 containers.

The multimodal offer in northern Alsace is being strengthened, in April 2020, with a new concession for the Lauterbourg terminal called Lauterbourg Rhine Terminal Company, which brings together Paris Terminal, Haeger&Schmitt, CFT and PAS, and which began operating this month.

Urban logistics

The routing of goods in the heart of cities is becoming a major logistical challenge at national level. At the beginning of 2020, the PAS welcomed the pioneering company ULS (Urban Logistic Solutions) to carry out the delivery of the last few kilometers between the port and the shops in the city center of Strasbourg using boats and cargo bikes.

Bicycle lanes

In partnership with the Eurometropole (local city identity), PAS realized a new section of cycle tracks in December. Now, 1.2 km of bicycle paths serving the companies of the rue du Havre and connecting the city’s bicycle network under the Avenue du Rhin is fullfilled. This work brings the PAS bicycle network to 6 km.

At the same time, a diagnosis of the travel habits of the port area’s employees on their home-work journey was carried out in 2020. It shows a real desire on the part of car owners to change their habits in favour of the bike. The construction of bicycle tracks is continuing in order to provide a safe network for cyclists in the southern zone:

• 2021 : rue de La Rochelle 1 km,
• 2022 : rue de Lorient / chemin du Schulzenfeld, 600 m.

A group committed to the local economy:

To renovate and modernize the port area, PAS has invested every year in the service of the quality of the infrastructure made available to businesses, including:

The complete renovation and enhancement of the 900-meter-long La Rochelle side street, including roadways and access, landscaping design in connection with the Rue de La Rochelle, networks, and LED lighting.

• The repair of the roundabout roadway on rue de Bayonne / Biarritz and landscaping.
• In 2020, PAS focused its attention on the landscape perception of its territory and thus prepared to welcome a more urban public. The development of the Rue du Port du Rhin and the Rue du Bassin de l’Industrie: roadways, lighting, securing level crossings, landscaping, artistic lights projections, are a good example.

In 2021, PAS will continue its efforts to provide regional economic development actors with the means to succeed:

Superstructure modernization

• Acquisition of 4 stackers
• Modernization work on the gantries of the 3 PAS Group terminals
• Study and repair work on electrical installations (delivery, distribution)
• Container terminal South

Development and improvement of rail and waterway services

• Preliminary studies for the development of a rail terminal
• Financing of the feasibility study for the extension of track 5 at Neudorf station
• Preliminary studies and planning of service contracts for the construction of the La Minoterie rivercruise terminal.

Port companies are also committed to the port area:

– The construction of SOPREMA’s international headquarters and the extension of its production production space.
– The expansion of the web hosting capacities of the IT company OVH.
– The extension of the SATI factory (Société Alsacienne de Torréfaction et d’Importation de Café) allowing the company to improve its production capacities on its century-old site.