Major expansion at Calais

Plans for a major expansion at the cross-Channel port of Calais have been developed. Called Calais Port 2015, this project will see the port double in size and will provide more berths for the larger ferries now operating on the cross-Channel routes.

In addition to a new outer breakwater to the east of the current port the project will include the construction of additional ro-ro berths and land marshalling areas with will see much of the ferry traffic diverted to this new port. The project will take place in stages

The new breakwater will be 2500 metres long and extend out from the shore to the east to form a new harbour entrance with the existing port forming the western side of the entrance. The entrance channel will be dredged to a depth of 13 metres to allow larger ro-ro ships to enter the port at all stages of tide. Inside the shelter of the breakwater a series of new ro-ro berths will be built on existing and reclaimed land. Part of the scheme is to improve the road and rail connections to the facilities so that in addition to the forecast increase in the ferry traffic the port will also be able to handle other shipping including cruise ships.

"The estimated overall cost of the expansion, which will be built in phases, is €600million and the first berth should be operational by 2019," said Franck-Edouard Tiberghien of the Calais port development and strategy department.

The plans also include accommodating an increasing modal shift, providing a rail hub which could handle trailers transported by rail, as well as space for 45-ft containers and other intermodal units. The first phase will provide two or three ferry berths and new freight control and check-in facilities and 90 hectares will be reclaimed.

Until now, the ports of Calais and Boulogne which are both owned by the Nord Pas de Calais regional council have been operated under separate concessions by the Chamber of Commerce. "The new agreement will bring them both into one joint concession, likely to be for 50 years" said Mr Tiberghien. "Later on we could develop more ro-ro berths and even container berths; these would not be deep sea, but to handle short sea containers. However, we are very specialised in trade between England and the Continent and the focus remains on ferries and ro-ro".

"The expansion is needed for more capacity and also to handle larger vessels," said Mr Tiberghien. "Currently we are limited on the marine infrastructure side with only five berths in operation and only two of them can handle ferries up to 210 metres. So we have limited capacity for the latest generation of large P&O ferries which are 240 metres in length."

The vital role of Calais as a terminus for the cross-Channel ferries has been high-lighted by the recent strikes at the port. This has stopped cross-Channel traffic for several days as a cost to the British economy calculated at over £1 billion and serious congestion on all roads into the ports of Dover and Calais. Upgrading work is taking place at both Dover and Calais to cater for forecast increases in traffic but the current strikes demonstrate how fragile this vital trade link which handles over 80% of the UK ro-ro traffic can be in its role as a major link in European trade.