A Sea-Loire & Connections Forum Focussed on Key Challenges

On 18th June, Montoir de Bretagne was the venue for the fourth edition of the Sea-Loire & Connections Forum organized by Idelia on the initiative of Gilles Bontemps, a member of the Supervisory Board of Nantes ‒ Saint Nazaire Port.

This event brought together economic players, public decision-makers, institutional representatives, trade unions and experts to discuss the prospects for development and transition, with a view to fostering complementarity and cooperation.

At the heart of the discussions was one central theme: "Winning the battle for domestic traffic flows: how to develop a hinterland strategy, identify operational levers, and make inland waterway and rail transportation a key driver of decarbonization."

Three focus sessions highlighted key drivers and major projects:
-    Housing: Can we develop the Regional Community without providing housing solutions? How can we address liveability challenges in view of regional appeal? Presented by Céline Girard-Raffin, Vice-Chair of Saint Nazaire Urban Area District Authority and Chair of the Silène Social Housing Association.
-    Elengy: Supporting the energy transition of the Regional Community through the Ulysses project, by Bruno Michel, Director of Elengy’s Montoir de Bretagne LNG Terminal.
-    Take Kair: an e-fuel project for the aviation sector, presented by François Parizot, project manager at EDF.

This edition highlighted the following key challenges: transitions, decarbonization, housing, freight traffic flows and mobility – all of which are interdependent, and whose success depends on cooperation between stakeholders and the implementation of concrete measures.

Contact at Nantes Saint-Nazaire Port – Jérôme Kieser