Port Le Havre (Paris City, France) launched a new project aimed at sustainably welcoming more cruise ships and passengers to the iconic city.
With a record 420,000 cruise passengers back in 2018, bringing ~EUR 35 million of economical benefits to the Normandy region, the cruise port is looking at ~600,000 passengers in 2030, which is a 44.7% increase (based on European traffic projections/the growth of the cruise market).
In order to achieve its goal, a new administration & operation structure, GIP Le Havre Croisieres with cruise director Valerie Conan, has been created by HAROPA Port and Le Havre Seine Metropole.
The project cost is estimated at EUR 99M and will be funded by the above organizations, the State, and the Normandy region.
A vital part of the development program which is underway is improving the connection of the Pointe de Floride with downtown. Of equal importance is the creation of three new, bigger, and more comfortable terminals between 2023-2025, on a usable area of 15000 m2. This way Le Havre will be able to receive ~13500 passengers per day.
The installation of the port's Terminal 1 on the north bank is to consist of demolishing the existing Terminals 1, 2 & 3 to create a new building that is expected to host the same functions as the previous terminals. Terminal 1 will accommodate cruise ships up to 330 meters in length.
The roof of the new building will be accessible to the public. It will offer a unique view of the port's entrance, the layout of the Grand Quai, and the rebuilt UNESCO-listed Le Havre downtown.
The establishment of Terminals 2 & 3 on the south bank will consist of a renovation/expansion of the existing hangars 12 & 13 to house the functions of check-in, control, reception, services and preparation for cruise passengers boarding, as well as technical/administrative functions related to the management.
A covered parking area is expected and the planned surfaces can make it possible to accommodate the world's largest cruise liners and to operate full turnarounds/homeporting.
The new buildings will be positive energy due to the contribution of a vast photovoltaic roof and sober operating conditions.
All docks dedicated to cruises will be electrified prior to the end of 2025 in order to allow electricity connections for liners, favoring them to switch off the main machines during stopovers. The delivered shore-power electricity will be 10 mW per dock, which is expected to avoid ~100 tonnes of CO2 and ~2 tonnes of other polluting emissions during the 12 hours of a ship call.