Gearing up at Marseille Fos

Container traffic was up by 3.5% to 1.22m teus and by 4% in tonnage terms to 11.7MT. This represents three consecutive years of growth thanks to the port’s ‘alternative southern gateway for Europe’ strategy.

Growth projections for 2016 will be supported by an €83 million investment budget – an 84% increase on last year’s.

Projects already underway include extending the Feuillane logistics park in Fos, road improvements, waterways facilities, relocation of ferry passenger terminals and cold ironing quayside power connections for ferries.

Marseille Fos told GreenPort that the Meridionale launch has been delayed due to equipment modifications by the operator.

Testing of the interface with the port’s power network is scheduled towards the end of February and the facility should become operational during March. The situation with other ferry connections will not become clear before the end of the year.

In the pipeline are studies into expanding the cold ironing facilities to cruise vessels, furthering Fos rail links and lengthening the Fos 2XL quay.

In addition two other current projects are due for completion – enlargement of the Passe Nord access for cruise ships and renovation of Drydock 10, the world’s third largest. This is expected to be operational by September with the first cruise customer arriving by the end of the year.

General cargo rose 1% to 17.9MT. Conventional trades dropped 15% to 2.4MT but ro-ro traffic saw a 4% gain to 3.8MT, including 6% increases in both trailers and import/export cars.

Box throughput was boosted by four new services from Marseille and two from Fos. A new Marseille-Middle East con-ro service is planned, as well as a ro-ro line serving Civitavecchia (Rome).

Rail traffic showed double-digit growth for the second year running with a 13% rise to 112,000 teu. Waterways box traffic set a new record, rising 4% to 99,000 teu on the back of 17 regular shippers.

Liquid bulks improved 5% to 49.9MT. The oil and gas sector rose 6% to 46.3MT with crude imports up by 8% to 27MT and refined products seeing a rise of 7% to 12.8MT. LPG rose by 9% to 2.2MT but LNG saw a dip of 7% to 4.2MT. Liquid chemicals and agro-products decreased by 3% to 3.6MT.

Dry bulks increased by 3% to 13.9MT. Steel industry volumes remained stable at 9.7MT while other bulks including coal and cement rose 22% to 3.4MT. Agro-bulks were down 16% to 0.8MT.

Passenger throughput rose 2% with cruise numbers rising 11% to a record 1,446m. Ferry carryings fell 8% to 1.06m. Whilst North Africa services saw an increase of 2%, Corsica numbers plummeted by 12% – thought to be as a result of strike action against the takeover of SNCM, which will now run as Maritima Ferries.

Marseille Fos is gearing up for more growth in the coming year, with forecasts of 83.7MT in cargo and throughput and 2.9m passengers.

Both Fos 2XL container terminal operators have committed to further spending. Eurofos has placed an order for the world’s two biggest cranes and Seayard has ordered a super-post-Panamax crane for delivery in 2017.