On that date private port operators will take the relay for superstructures

The Bill for the new port container harbour in construction in the estuary of the Seine should be substantially higher than planned. The Autonomous Port of Havre (PAH), which has adjusted financing plan these past months, the cost of "Port-2000" and its workstations is now estimated at EUR 806 million, either 167 million extra. This amount takes into account the updating of prices for construction purpose (36 million), additional workstations (29 million) and additional costs incurred in the work (101 million). The bulk of the increase will be supported by the PAH, whose share in the financing package will increase from 308 million to EUR 445 million.

In 2001, PAH obtained a loan of 140 million from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to cover its own commitments, and these days, another of 248 million at a banking pool led by Société Générale and Dexia. To repay this debt, PAH may rely on good financial health linked to the progression of its traffic in recent years. The gross operating surplus increased from 33 in 2003, and the port even expected, for the period 2001-2007, EUR 190 million for investments on other terminals as "Port-2000". "The containers are one thing, but we want to stay a generalist port", provides Jean-Pierre Lecomte, President of PAH.

Ambition: triple traffic

On the ground, the largest work ever engaged in a French port have much advanced, despite water entries that resulted in a distortion of a portion of the dock wall in the summer 2002. Repairs, since then carried out, and large work, assigned to Vinci-GTM and Soletanche-Bachy, should be delivered end of 2004 with just a few weeks behind the initial schedule. On that date, private port operators will take the relay for superstructures. Amount of 275 million euros in addition to the 806 million for public investment, they must be performed for the beginning of the summer 2005, the home of the first ship date. This new port, the dyke protection measure 6 kilometres, will be, to his service, four berths will be supplemented by two additional within the two years. But its configuration allows to build six more that will be carried out as needed.

The ambition, term, is tripling the current traffic, which has risen to 19 million tonnes in 2003, Le Havre in a position to compete with Antwerp and Rotterdam for the reception of the large transoceanic container. Two owners of weight, CMA - CGM French and Danish Maersk, already committed themselves to make each more than 500,000 "boxes". Conventions laying down obligations binding them to the port according to a system called to school in other major French ports. "Trade commitments of the owners are, which is encouraging for us, since, in the final analysis, they are the ones who choose between the different ports," said Jean-Pierre Lecomte.

This project, long discussed, is now about consensus in the region, given the importance of the impact expected: experts cite a deposit of 12,000 direct jobs in port operations and logistics, not only in le Havre, but also in the Hinterland.