.gif)
Contargo renews contract with French container terminal in Valenciennes
Contargo North France has won a Europe-wide call for tender and will continue to operate the container terminal Ports de l'Escaut at the quayside of Bruay-sur-l'Escaut/Saint-Saulve near Valenciennes. The newly-signed agreement came into force on 1 January 2022, and lasts for fifteen years.
The container terminal Escaut Valenciennes Conteneurs Terminal (EVCT), which went into operation in 2015, is growing continually. It was extended in 2017 and again in 2021, so that it has an annual handling capacity of 140,000 TEU.
“With this modern, high-performance infrastructure we want to strengthen the competitiveness of industrial and commercial enterprises in the Grand Hainaut, and enhance the attractiveness of our region. The position on the Seine – North Europe Canal will create even greater added value in the long term. We are happy to be continuing our partnership with Contargo, one of the leading European operators of multimodal terminals, who have been active in Valenciennes since 1996", said Bruno Fontaine, President of the Syndicat Mixte Docks Seine Europe/Escaut (the Seine Europe/Scheldt Docks joint association).
With the extension of the agreement, Contargo commits itself to the ongoing development of the container terminal and its multimodal transport activities. The terminal benefits from the growth of road/barge combined transport, and an offer of combined rail transport is planned. In the short term various investments are planned in handling equipment, including a new reach stacker and a second portal crane.
“We are convinced of the development potential of the industry and logistics market in the region, and we are very pleased to be continuing our cooperation at this location, which is already one of the leading multimodal container terminals in Northern France”, says Gilbert Bredel, Managing Director of Contargo North France.
For Thomas Löffler, Managing Director of Contargo, this commitment expresses Contargo’s interest in the French market with regard to inland container terminals: “Beyond this aspect, we are also contributing to the expansion of multimodal infrastructures and transport services in Europe, thus driving sustainable development forward in the transport sector”.
With an annual transport volume of 2.1 million TEU, Contargo is one of the largest container logistics networks in Europe. Contargo integrates container transport between the western seaports, the German North Sea ports and the European hinterland. Contargo has 25 container terminals at its disposal in Germany, France and Switzerland and additional locations in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Poland. The enterprise also operates its own barge and rail lines. In 2020 the workforce of 1,158 employees achieved a turnover of 513 million Euro.