Saint Nazaire

An Essential Link in the Supply Chain

A Facility Redesigned for MRE

The development of marine renewable energy (MRE) benefits the Saint Nazaire port facility. The most noticeable improvement consists in the provision for the pre-assembly of offshore wind turbines, under construction on the quays in Saint Nazaire. This facility will receive the various components of the offshore wind turbines that will equip the future wind farm to be sited off Saint Nazaire. The quays have been reinforced so as to be able to assemble then load the components on site. Possessing high-performance plant and equipment such as the 400-tonne jumbo derrick and two 150- and 200-tonne-capacity mobile cranes, the quays in Saint Nazaire are ideally suited for loading or unloading heavy-lift cargo consignments.

Easier Access to the Quays

Before being loaded on board a vessel, all the cargo consignments including the most imposing items have to be able to access the quays. Thanks to a new 1.2-kilometre and 21-metre-wide road link, convoys of oversized cargo consignments can travel safely and smoothly from Montoir de Bretagne to the Saint Nazaire dock basins.

A Reference for Ship Repair

Saint Nazaire possesses three dry docks and the Joubert sluice dock, which together are able to accommodate a large number of different vessels. The dry docks give directly onto the Penhoët dock basin, which means that they are not reliant on tidal conditions. In addition, Nantes ‒ Saint Nazaire Port places at the disposal of shipowners tried-and-tested equipment and professionals for the dock manoeuvres and preparation operations. And lastly, the rich local industrial fabric provides all the specialist trades involved in ship repair, including mechanical engineering, sheet-metal working, painting, marine electrical engineering, etc.

The Saint Nazaire port facility in brief :

Sectors of activity :

Marine renewable energy

Mechanical and metallurgical engineering

Shipbuilding and ship repair

Agri-food industry

Aeronautical engineering

Economic Fabric

Some fifty different companies are located in the port area, including Chantiers de l'Atlantique Shipyard, Man Energy Solutions, IDEA, Sides, Arcelor, Clemessy, Cargill, Neopolia…

High-quality infrastructures and recognized expertise

"With Nantes ‒ Saint Nazaire Port, we can take advantage of the wide availability of the dry docks, principally the Joubert dock, and of the fitting-out quays. Of course, first and foremost we use the Penhoët dock, under the terms of our TOP (temporary occupancy permit). But sometimes we may need to use other quays to transfer sections of cruise liners or offshore wind turbine components (substations, jackets…). In addition to high-quality infrastructures, that capacity to assist us in carrying out special operations is another asset. All the professionals involved (port services and harbour master’s office, pilots, tugboat operators…) form a strong network of specialist skills. We are therefore able to draw on real expertise and proven know-how."

Guillaume Lebaron, Manager in charge of vessel movements, Chantiers de l’Atlantique Shipyard