PROJECT STORY
The challenge
Develop a section of the Seine-Escaut waterway, which shoulders the European Union’s ecological and economic ambitions.
<p></p><p>Seine-Nord Europe Canal</p>
Seine-Nord Europe Canal: the first European river network serving the energy transition
The solution
Effectively mobilize multidisciplinary expertise to design and pilot this colossal project.
The impact
Benefits across borders and generations
107 kilometers
Between Compiègne and Aubencheul-au-Bac
220
The number of trucks transported by a single large boat
54 meters wide
The same as Avenue Foch!
How can we make roads safer and allow for a greater exchange of goods, while emitting less CO2?
107 kilometers long, the Seine-Nord Europe Canal will occupy a section of the Seine-Escaut waterway, the first European network allowing large boats to pass through. It will connect the Seine basin to the main waterways of northern France and Europe.The international scale and multi-disciplinary nature of our projects are integral parts of Arcadis’s identity, as is the desire to make the world more sustainable.
On the one hand, Arcadis’s mission consists of designing sectors 1 and 3 of the canal from both a technical and environmental perspective; on the other hand, it will also direct its construction, which will begin in 2023. Of course, Arcadis must think of the canal in the strict sense of the term, so that, for example, it is watertight and that its water supply can be managed effectively. But beyond the canal, it is the entire built and natural environment that must be taken into account. Snaking through the scenery, it will cross roads at certain points, so bridges will need to be built in order to ensure continuity. As it will run alongside cities and infrastructures, Arcadis will ensure that it integrates into the landscape seamlessly. The development of green spaces in its vicinity, including the lagoon banks that will be used to retain water, is carried out jointly with communities and landscape designers. Finally, the canal will also pass through protected areas and the natural habitat of certain species, which requires the construction of wildlife corridors and crossings for large animals.
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Taking the solution
For all these components, Arcadis is not just the project leader; it is also tasked with conducting a portion of the studies, in particular environmental studies.
The river transport generated by the Canal will be both a major environmental achievement and an important lever of economic development for all businesses near the canal in the northern half of France.
The development of inland waterway transport is in the interest of preserving the planet, enabling a more sustainable means of freight transport. The completion of the canal will help achieve the energy transition targets set at COP21 in Paris, which are reflected in the Green Deal for a more responsible Europe.
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Taking the impact
It will also enable the economic development of the territories it passes through, with the creation of greener jobs and opportunities for new activities for their inhabitants.
The project thus affirms the very essence of the European Union: exchanging and sharing as a means of growing stronger.
