It is a ritual exercise to which delivered this Tuesday the port from
Marseille fos. That of the annual balance sheet, with supporting key figures and projections. If 2020 had been the year of
tumble, a direct consequence of the global pandemic, the year 2021 is that of “a form of resilience”, to use the words of the chairman of the executive board, Hervé Martel, during a press conference organized by video. Here are five key facts to take away from this review.
A historic record of containers processed
The port of Marseille Fos returned to growth in 2021. It takes advantage of the explosion in demand for goods and their intense circulation on the seas, despite the shortage of raw materials and the surge in prices following the health crisis. Last year, the port thus handled 75 million tonnes of goods. It is not yet at the level of 2019, but the progression compared to 2020 is 9%. And Marseille Fos broke a historic record with 1.5 million containers handled during its 9,000 stopovers. In terms of turnover, of 162 million this year, this translates into growth of 11% compared to 2020 (which remains down 5% compared to 2019.)
A new headquarters in La Joliette
And here is a PPP (public-private partnership) that comes out the back of its nose. The project, called “Le Phare”, was approved by the port’s supervisory board at the end of November. The objective is to provide, by 2025-2026, the port with a new head office in place of the current one, Place de la Joliette. An operation worth a total of 107 million euros, for a space of 28,000 m², only part of which is intended to accommodate port staff. “It will allow the city to open up to the port,” explains the chairman of the board, through a commercial ground floor with a view of the sea. “The port’s investment capacity must be directed above all to the projects”, advances Elisabeth Ayrault, president of the supervisory board, to explain the choice of a partnership market.
A call for tenders for luxury cruises
According to Hervé Martel, the subject of city-port relations is no longer contentious. “We are really making progress in consultation, especially in the southern part of the eastern basins,” he says. The chairman of the port’s board of directors sees this as proof of “the call for tenders to use the space freed up by international ferries to accommodate small cruises”. In other words, the terminal project for luxury cruises at J4, near the Mucem. Launched at the end of December, it appears on the balance sheet for the year 2021. With a first deadline in May 2022 for the submission of offers. As for the passenger sector in general, the balance is 1.2 million in 2021, which remains far from the 3 million passengers welcomed in 2019, despite the resumption of cruises in July. “The sector, very impacted by the health crisis, is still uncertain”, observes Chantal Helman, member of the executive board.
Dock electrification
“The superstructure is complete,” says Lionel Rivière, director of heritage enhancement and innovation at the port, who is pleased that the future Cap Janet international ferry terminal will be able to “accommodate up to 600 people simultaneously”. . Still, the work is continuing, for a gradual delivery from this summer. No more precise date is advanced. With regard to the electrical equipment for the four berths, the works contract was notified in December, for delivery scheduled for spring 2023. However, 2021 also saw the finalization of the equipment for four berths at quay of the Corsican ferry sector, which connects nearly 1,200 stopovers per year.
The port is investing heavily in green hydrogen
The official announcement dates from Monday, and the presentation of the port’s annual report echoes it. “This is the largest investment since the creation of the industrial-port zone,” says Hervé Martel with satisfaction. The key to this energy transition project is the creation of 165 direct jobs. In partnership with the company H2V, an industrial facility for the production of green hydrogen will thus be developed in six stages from 2026 to 2031. avoid the release into the atmosphere of 750,000 tonnes of CO2 each year”, according to the port press release. The site will include six production units of 100 MW (i.e. 600 MW), and will ensure the production of 84,000 t/year of renewable hydrogen by water electrolysis. Either “the largest unit in France”, according to the port of Marseille Fos.
