THE French port of Nantes-St Nazaire, upstream from the mouth of the River Loire on the Bay of Biscay, aims to triple container throughput in the next 10 to 15 years as well as double ro-ro volume with an investment of EUR40 million (US$52.9 million).
The river port, after suffering declines in its staple of bulk cargo, now aims to accommodate 6,000 to 8,000-TEU ships with a quay extension at its Montoir terminal of 350 metres to 600 metres, expected to be ready by early 2016.
The introduction of feeder services from Montoir to north European ports has contributed a six per cent year-on-year increase in container traffic, which was accompanied by a 17 per cent increase in general cargo.
It also plans to build on its robust ro-ro activities, which more than doubled in 2011 to reach over one million tonne mark.
The introduction of the French carrier LD Lines' that carried more than 18,000 trucks on its "Motorway of the Sea" route to Gijun, Spain, helped to boost ro-ro figures. Automotive logistics was also buoyed by the activities of specialist operator CAT, which has run a hub from its terminal since September.
Nantes will invest a further EUR20 million in a new business park of 30 hectares while the port authority will use an area of eight hectares to distribute, store and receive vehicles.