The Port of Le Havre in 2008

Despite a very good first quarter of the year, the containerized trade of Port of Le Havre was strongly impacted by strikes related to the port reform in France, especially during the second quarter of the year 2008. A slow-down related to the global economic situation had to be added to this by the end of the year. Altogether, Le Havre handled 24.5 Mt (estimated at 2.5M Teu) of containerized cargos in 2008 against 26.3 Mt in 2007, that is a 7 % drop in traffic. One third of the boxes were handled in the new terminal ‘Port 2000’. Container transport to and from the hinterland rose by about 6 % in TEU, with a special high-performance rise by 28.3% of the number of units carried by rail, while transshipments decreased by about 40 % for the whole year.

Presently, the extension work of Port 2000 is well underway with the construction of 2,100 additional meters of quay to progressively come on stream from mid-2009. Seven hundred other meters will follow. Once completed Port 2000 will increase the handling capacity of Le Havre by more than 4 million TEU over 4.2 km of quay.

The port reform announced in early 2008 has resulted in a law, adopted on July 4th. The 4 major components of the port reform are as follows:
- transfer plant equipment operation and personnel to private operators without transferring public coastal areas,
- provide support to the Port Authorities in their essential tasks of sustainable development, land development, and as a catalyst for the development of massified transport (rail and waterway) beyond their traditional institutional role,
- modernize port governance in order to ensure effective supervision,
- develop a pro-active policy for both the maintenance of existing access channels and for port and access investments.

This law was completed by a national framework agreement, adopted on October 30th. This objective development has successfully brought Port of Le Havre into a new era and keeps its performances and competitiveness in international maritime trade.

On Oct 6th, 2008, Port of Le Havre welcomed its new executive director, Mr. Laurent Castaing. After 8 years in the job, Mr. Jean-Marc Lacave, the former executive director has left the General Management of the Grand Port Maritime du Havre to join the General Management of CMA-CGM of Marseille. Mr. Laurent Castaing is a graduate of the Ecole Polytechnique and of the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Techniques Avancées (ENSTA) Marine Engineering section. Laurent Castaing held several positions at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique and with Alsthom before being nominated in 2005 Deputy Executive Director of the Port Autonome de Nantes-Saint-Nazaire.