Ports of Normandy’s positive results in 2024 attest to our strategic role in Normandy’s attractive and dynamic economy. By actively supporting the food-processing, construction, tourism and green transition sectors, Ports of Normandy continues to be a vital partner in the region’s economic fabric.
The principal satisfactions of 2024 were the number of customers who placed their trust in our ports, as was attested by the arrival of TSM and Padmos in Dieppe, the submissions to our call for expressions of interest at Cherbourg, and the modernization of the Brittany Ferries fleet at Ouistreham.
Through an ambitious level of investment, Ports of Normandy will continue efforts to support high-value projects – whether they be linked to industrial innovations or the green transition – and pursue the maintenance and modernization of port assets. A strategy focused on the future to further enhance Normandy’s economic influence.
In 2024 the passenger business continued its upward trend (+13%). Channel crossings to the United Kingdom (+6.5%) and Ireland (+ 6%) are attracting ever more passengers. As for the cruise business, it is experiencing exceptional growth (+67 %).
Freight is also growing, albeit more moderately after a marked decrease in tonnage in 2023. Conventional (+7%) and cross-Channel (+0.5%) activities are buoyant with cross-Channel freight to the United Kingdom (- 0.13%) stable and to Ireland (+1.5%), growing.
Cross-Channel passengers: general increase
Cross-Channel lines experienced a 6.36% increase (round +110,000 pax), as per market trend. However this progression presents a variation in intensity depending on the destination.
The lines to the United Kingdom operating out of Ports of Normandy saw growth of 6.46% (round +80,000 passengers). In detail, the port of Caen-Ouistreham (815,995 pax) had the strongest showing with a 10% increase, although this is still under pre-COVID volumes (-90,000 pax), while traffic at the port of Dieppe (+ 4.68%) pursued its upward trend to exceed its performance in the days before COVID (376,216 pax 2019 vs 409,698 pax 2024).
At the Port of Cherbourg (222,548 pax), business to the United Kingdom logged a slight fall (1.54%). The 4,000-strong drop in passengers can be attributed to the stoppage of the Guernsey line in 2024 (8,000 pax).
Lines from the Port of Cherbourg to Ireland continue to make gains (nearly 6%). This increase is the result of the dynamic initiated in 2022 when traffic returned to its 2019 levels. As a result, the Port of Cherbourg achieved a new record of 344,913 passengers. In addition to the WB Yeats, which has been working the Dublin to Cherbourg route for the last few years, the Stena Vision, which continued until the end of October 2024, and Brittany Ferries’ Salamanca and Santona all contributed actively to this growth spurt.
Ireland now accounts for 60% of Cherbourg’s ferry traffic. Volumes in the Irish market out of the Port of Cherbourg are now 50% higher than those of the British market.
Three events marked 2025:
- The arrival in the spring of the Guillaume de Normandie as a replacement for the Normandie. Providing more comfort and services, and having less impact on the environment thanks to its hybrid LNG propulsion, this vessel is yet another asset on the Ouistreham-Portsmouth line, increasing the attractiveness of the busiest line in the west of France.
- The withdrawal of the Stena Vision (3 round trips per week) and, for the moment, the lack of a replacement vessel means that the Port of Cherbourg will no longer be offering sailings to Ireland, and this could weaken volumes to the destination.
- Lastly, the Entry/Exit System (EES), a directive designed to strengthen controls on all border crossings of the Schengen Area, was not introduced in the autumn of 2024 as announced. It may well be introduced in 2025. It will be implemented gradually to keep impacts to passengers and port operations to a minimum.
This activity experienced a 67% increase on 2023 with 30% more port visits and a new record of 360,533 passengers.
Cherbourg is clearly the key player in this burgeoning business, accounting for 359,082 of those passengers. In 2024 the cruise ship business became the principal segment of the passenger sector, ahead of cross-Channel traffic to Ireland (344,913), which also had a record year.
Growth can be explained by the number of cruise ships (63), most of them more than 250 metres long, the loyalty of their operating companies, such as MSC, AIDA and Carnival UK, and the consistently high occupancy rates of the vessels.
With only 7 cruise ships compared to 12 last year, the Port of Caen-Ouistreham showed a 56% decline in cruise passengers (1,451 passengers).
2025 is expected to be down on last year with approximately 60 cruise ships scheduled to visit instead of the 70 in 2024. This trend has been observed across French ports on the Atlantic seaboard and seems to be a temporary fluctuation because bookings for 2026 are already high.
Cross-Channel freight: traffic stable
Cross-Channel traffic in heavy goods vehicles stabilized at 197,403 units (+1.58%) after the 7.29% drop in 2023. This increase was common to both the United Kingdom (+0.86%) and Ireland (+2.56%).
In detail, routes to the United Kingdom grew 3.6% for Caen-Ouistreham (81,202 HGVs) and 10.8% for Cherbourg (7,525 HGVs), but fell 9.6% for Dieppe (24,335 HGVs).
Results for the United Kingdom and Ireland, across all Ports of Normandy sites, are stabilizing after five years of very large variations:
For the United Kingdom, 2024 seems to have brought to a close the downward spiral which began in 2019. Indeed, Ports of Normandy experienced, over a period of 5 years a 27% drop in the number of heavy goods vehicles. This was caused by a general fall in trade between the United Kingdom and the European Union (caused by Brexit and COVID) and an over-abundant supply across the Dover Strait (Eurotunnel included).
As for freight to Ireland, which had tripled in 2021 (from 35,000 to 100,000 HGVs) before losing 20% in 2022–23, this business recorded a recovery in 2024, which seems to indicate a certain stabilization.
Two events for 2025 are worthy of note:
- Deployment in the spring of the Guillaume de Normandie at Caen-Ouistreham will add significant freight capacity for the busiest crossings thanks to its increased garage space.
2024 Annual Report & Outlook for 2025 - The launch of the rolling road between Cherbourg and Bayonne will create new opportunities for traffic to and from the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Conventional freight: 2024 is yet another good year
Conventional traffic (1,136 ,296 t) saw growth of 7%. It’s a great result which highlights our role in supporting the regional economy. The principal drivers for this growth were the sectors of production (cereals), construction (aggregates) and conversion (marine renewable energy, bentonite, oleaginous).
- Construction: -2.15% i.e. 363,904 T.
The construction sector, operating in a rather gloomy context, contracted 2.15%. This fall was mainly due to the absence of milk traffic (-19,000 T for Caen-Ouistreham) and a reduction in wood imports (-3,000 T for Caen-Ouistreham); however the aggregates business, located mainly at Dieppe, grew by 14,000 tonnes (+5%).
- Food processing: +16% i.e. 459,379 T.
The 13% drop in 2023 was recovered with a 16% rise in 2024 (+68,000 T). The restarting of the cereals business (+21.16% / +61,000 T) at Caen-Ouistreham accounted for much of the growth in the food-processing sector, in particular fertilizers (+17.53% / +9,000 T). The importation of oleaginous products at Dieppe continued to grow and also contributed to this recovery (+ 36.79% / + 6,000 T). On the other hand, animal feed decreased by almost 50% (-49.52% / -12,000 T) while imports of molasses were almost stable in terms of volume (-6.45 % / -1,000 T).
- Miscellaneous: +6.23% i.e. 313,013 T
The upward trend in this business was driven by Cherbourg and Caen-Ouistreham.
At Cherbourg, the increased volume (+19,000 T) was essentially the result of traffic involved in the operation of offshore wind farms off Fécamp and Dieppe-Le-Tréport. The transportation of masts and assemblies, turbines and blades to the Fécamp offshore wind farm was completed in the spring of 2024. In the same period, the DEME, based in the Port of Cherbourg, received, stored and then shipped the anchoring systems for the Dieppe-Le-Tréport wind farm. This activity generated 139,648 tonnes of handling (+14,000 T / +14.3%).
The heavy cargo business also contributed to this increase (+11,000 T / +183.64%), moving 16,105 tonnes on Cherbourg wharves in relation to marine renewable energies.
At the Port of Caen-Ouistreham, growth involved for the most part:
- The restarting of the scrap iron business whose tonnages fell to 3,500 tonnes in 2022. In 2024, the Blainville terminal processed 58,856 tonnes (+ 8, 000 T / +16.37%).
- The continued buoyancy of the bentonite traffic (+ 7,000 T / +20.50%) through the port, which has been active for several years now.
Declining traffics include:
- Heavy cargo at Caen-Ouistreham (- 7,000 T / -100%), because of a lack of industrial projects in the vicinity.
- Wind turbine traffic at Dieppe, falling for the second year running (- 2,000 T / -32%), thus highlighting the slow-down of wind farms on land.
- Hazardous products at Cherbourg (-1,000 T / -31%).
Prospects for 2025:
- The thriving offshore wind turbine business at the Port of Cherbourg, with the concomitant progress of the Calvados offshore wind farm, the continuation of the farm at Dieppe-Le-Tréport, and the transportation of blades from the GE-LMWP factory.
- Continued diversification at Caen-Ouistreham, with in particular the possibility of petroleum traffic activity starting up end 2025.
- At Dieppe, the start of engineering works on the Penly EPR should generate some initial port traffic.
2. FISHING
If the fish landed for sale at the Cherbourg and Dieppe fish markets is added to that landed at the Ouistreham landing point, the total fish tonnage for 2024 amounted to 13,060 T, 1.69% (i.e. -224 T) on the previous year. For the third year running Ports of Normandy has exceeded the 13,000 tonnes threshold despite the difficult context created by quotas, Brexit, purchasing power, climate impacts, etc.
An abundance of scallops is the principal driving factor.
The general decline is the result of opposing trends:
- On the one hand the Cherbourg fish market and the Ouistreham landing point fell 10,03% and 9.45% respectively.
- On the other hand the Dieppe fish market showed sustained growth of 9.63%.
In detail, 2024 tonnage at Cherbourg amounted to 4,579 tonnes (-10.03%), for a turnover of €11,981,441 (15.84%) and an average price per kilo of €2.62, also in decline. This tonnage includes solely the products passing through the fish market. Approximately 1,500 tonnes of small scallops were landed at Cherbourg, but were not sold through the fish market.
This negative result is principally the consequence of the loss of the deep-sea vessel Carpe Diem III. For information, the deep-sea fleet had already been impacted by the stoppage of 2 vessels as part of the French government’s scheme to support businesses impacted by Brexit in 2023 (PAI Brexit). This additional loss has reduced the deep-sea fleet at Cherbourg to 4 vessels. This deficit was worsened by the high number of coastal vessels not operating during the summer because it was not economically viable to put to sea.
Three commercial factors to restore the necessary volumes and thus the economic stability of the fish market were identified:
- The need to develop additional activities: small scallops and handling international vessels (Belgian/Dutch).
- Reopening the Port of Dielette to handle vessels from the Channel Islands (crustaceans, line-caught fish).
- Developing services (fish tank rental, handling, cold storage, etc.).
At Dieppe, the 2024 tonnage reached 6,097 T, up 9.64%, for sales revenues of €17,411,474 (-4.22%), i.e. an average sale price of €2.86/k.
Scallop fishing was the driving factor behind this increase. It increased again by 11.69% in 2024 (round +547 T), while the landing of fish was more or less stable at -1.24% (-9 T).
The quantity of scallops landed at Dieppe since 2019 has grown 46%. Dieppe fish market’s specialization in scallops is growing year on year. This segment now represents 85% of the tonnages processed by the fish market. However, the decline in the average scallop price can be considered an indicator of market saturation.
As a result, the volume effect does not compensate for the price effect, which is dropping on average by 12.53%, and negatively affects the fish market’s turnover.
The growing importance of Dieppe fish market within the Ports of Normandy organization is established. It now represents 46% of the total tonnage passing through the fish market, plus landings at Ouistreham, compared to 39% in 2019.
The fish landing point at Ouistreham recorded a fall of 9.46% with 2,384 tonnes, which amounts to the average volume of landings for the last 5 years.
Prospects for the industry in 2025 include the reopening of Brexit negotiations, and the pressure on prices in 2024.
3. YACHTING
The number of marina visits increased 1.71%, totalling 7,025 visits in 2024. However this increase was not enough to achieve pre-COVID levels, which amounted to around 7,500 visits.
In detail, Dieppe (+3.53% i.e. 2,200 calls) and Caen-Ouistreham (+12.91% i.e. 901 calls) are experiencing an upward trend, whereas Cherbourg Cherbourg (-1.51% i.e. 3,924 calls) is declining.
Despite this downward trend Cherbourg still accounts for 55% of Ports of Normandy marina visits.
This positive result is marred by a significant fall in the number of overnight stays, which are down 10.63% (25,220 overnight stays). Poor weather in the spring and summer probably explains this bad result.
This drop was particularly significant in Dieppe, which recorded -19.45% (7,534 overnight stays). Cherbourg experienced a decline of 8.31% whereas Caen-Ouistreham rose 1.31% (4,031 overnight stays).
Accordingly, the average length of a stay was 3.59 days, compared to 4.08 nights in 2023. This amounts to half a day less.
4. SHIP REPAIRS
With 358 ships taken out of the water for repairs, Ports of Normandy recorded a 12.93% increase in 2024. This level of activity hasn’t been seen since the creation of Ports of Normandy in 2019.
This growth was driven by the Port of Dieppe, which saw a 35.88% increase after a disappointing 2023 (-17.61%). With 178 ships handled, the body responsible for managing port business at Dieppe has beaten its previous record (161) by a long margin. This great result derives from a strategy to diversify the business towards support vessels, thus allowing the management to optimize quiet periods in ship repair involving fishing vessels.
While reporting a decrease of 3.23%, the Port of Cherbourg nevertheless maintained a high level of activity with 180 ships handled (-6), about as many as Dieppe.
This decline can be correlated with the unavailability of the travelift subsequent to storm Darragh in December 2024, and a drop in the “Miscellaneous” segment (workboats, passengers, exceptional craft, etc.) of the travelift business (-12).
With 6 operations, the syncrolift had its best year since the creation of Ports of Normandy in 2019.
2024 TRAFFIC FIGURES IN BRIEF
- Cross-channel: +6.36% pax / +0.51% in tonnage / +1.58% HGVs
- Conventional: +6.94% in tonnage
- Cruise: 70 calls, 360,533 pax
- Fishing:
o Cherbourg: -10.03% in tonnage / -15.84% turn over
o Dieppe: +9.64% in tonnage / -4.22% turn over - Ship repairs: 358 movements
o –3.23% at Cherbourg
o +35.88% at Dieppe - Yachting
o -1.51% ships at Cherbourg / -8.31% overnight stays
o +12.91% Caen-Ouistreham / +1.41% overnight stays
o +3.53% ships at Dieppe / -19.45% overnight stays
OUTLOOK FOR 2025
1 – REINFORCING OUR POSITION AS CROSS-CHANNEL LEADER WEST OF THE DOVER STRAIT
Cross-channel operations remain the No. 1 business for Ports of Normandy which continues, after the Brexit phase, to convert its terminals to align with decarbonization.
Shore power for ships alongside
To achieve a reduction of greenhouse-gas emissions of at least 55% by 2030 and climate neutrality by 2050, the maritime sector and in particular ports must intensify their efforts.
By 1 January 2030, European ports will be required to provide an electrical power supply on the wharf for container ships and passenger ferries. This must be proportional to the number and duration of the visits.
This requirement directly concerns the three ports of Ports of Normandy: Caen-Ouistreham, Cherbourg and Dieppe. To fund the projects, Ports of Normandy recently obtained 10.7 million euros from the European Union via the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility (AFIF) scheme.
- Caen-Ouistreham: In the spring of 2025 this pioneering port will be welcoming the Guillaume de Normandie, after her very recent naming ceremony in Spain. This hybrid vessel runs on LNG and electricity. To accommodate the vessel, works on the DAC 8 fender have been scheduled. This will optimize the ferry’s energy consumption when casting off. Budget: €4M for the ferry terminal and €1.77M for the electrical connection by ENEDIS. A public consultation for the Ouistreham works is currently open for input, and the works are scheduled to begin in the spring of 2025 to coincide with the arrival of the new ferry.
- Cherbourg: This avant-garde port is planning the provision of a 27 MVA electrical supply for ferries and cruise ships. Budget: €20.6M for the ferries and €11.5M for the cruise ship business.
- Dieppe: Launching of studies with a budget of €150K for the preliminary analyses and an estimated €3M for the future works.
Ports of Normandy is benefiting from EU funding of €10.74M to help it deploy shore-power provision on the wharves of Ouistreham and Cherbourg.
Completion of the rolling road terminal in the Port of Cherbourg
The Port of Cherbourg is making a significant step towards decarbonizing the transport of goods in Europe with rolling road operations starting in 2025.
Last December the first test train successfully completed the trip to Cherbourg docks, thus confirming the proper working order of Cherbourg’s railway infrastructure and preparing the way for rail services to restart.Starting in the spring of 2025, a train service for semitrailers will run between Cherbourg and Bayonne. It will pass through the centre of Cherbourg and serve strategic destinations such as Spain, Great Britain and Ireland. It is a significant step in reducing the carbon footprint of the transport industry. Indeed, each train has the capacity to replace 42 trucks which would have had a combined emission of 30,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.
This project has a global budget of over 17 million euros and is funded by:
- Normandy Council: €1.7M
- Manche Council: €850K
- Council of the Cotentin Urban Area: €285K
- Ports of Normandy: €8.7M
- European Union: €1.4 million
- Port of Cherbourg: €4M
The next stages of the project involve the finishing touches, such as connecting the mains services, road markings, and erecting a fence separating the terminal from the ZAR zone. Additional tests have been scheduled prior to the official launch of commercial services.
This project is part of an ambitious plan to make Cherbourg an essential link in the provision of rail-freight services in the west of Europe, and to tackle current environmental issues.
La Croix Morel: future economic hub in the service of the port
La Croix Morel was identified in 2006 as a strategic zone for economic development linked to the port. Its proximity to the port and good road communications makes it the ideal place for businesses that are involved in port activities, the development of marine renewable energies, and cross-Channel logistics.
The various stages of the project:
- JANUARY-MARCH 2021: Public consultation
- SPRING 2024: Filing of official documents
- AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2024: Public consultation
- JANUARY 2025: Favourable opinion expected from the commissioner in charge of the consultation, regarding the compatibility of the project with the land use plan (PLU).
- EARLY 2025: Invitation to tender for archaeological excavations
- MID-2025: Archaeological excavations
- LATE 2025: Invitation to tender for works
- 2026: Works start
A budget and environmental commitments. Projected cost of the project to be €4.7M EX VAT, including €3.2M for the works, the latter including:
- €1.57M for environmental measures to prevent, reduce and compensate impacts
- €200,000 for the creation of a public area, as per the consultation
The project is mostly funded by the proceeds from the transfer of land, and by private partners.
Extension of Dieppe’s outer harbour: a strategic project for the future of shipping
Ports of Normandy is planning the extension of the hard-standing outside the Port of Dieppe, currently dedicated to the cross-Channel terminal and to the storage and processing of marine aggregates. This ambitious project is a response to several key objectives: reinforce infrastructures to support the cross-Channel business; anticipate developments in the shipping business (related to the increasing size of cargoes and ships); and attract new commercial flows.
In a context marked by Brexit and the imminent implementation of the European Entry-Exit System (EES), new border-control rules require the reorganization of port areas. The enlargement of the hard-standing is therefore crucial to the fluidity of cross-Channel operations and the arrival of the next generation of ferries.
Moreover, the extension of the outer harbour will allow the Port of Dieppe to adapt to the increasing size of merchant ships which will, one day, no longer be able to enter the Paris docks. The issue is therefore to plan for this change by organizing an accessible and functional area that can process such vessels within the next ten years.
The project is currently in the study phase, with a budget of 1.7 million euros earmarked for technical, environmental, legal and economic analyses. Starting in 2022, the studies should be completed in 2025. They have three main goals:
- Validate the feasibility of the operation
- Determine the precise position of the extension
- Estimate the volume of necessary materials
A public consultation, under the auspices of France’s national committee for public debate (CNDP), will inform citizens on the nature of the project and collect their opinions. Initially scheduled for spring 2025, this consultation has now been postponed because of the financial pressures placed on local government. Faced with a lack of financial guarantees in the short term, Ports of Normandy has been forced to postpone the implementation of the project.
The extension of Dieppe outer harbour is therefore a long-term project for adapting maritime infrastructures to the economic and logistical challenges of the future.
Extension of Ouistreham ferry terminal
Ouistreham ferry terminal, like those of Cherbourg and Dieppe, has been subjected to a string of border control measures over the years: immigration and then Brexit. And tomorrow it will be the Entry/Exit System, which will lengthen the time it takes to unload vessels and leave the terminal. It is now time to rethink the layout of the terminal, even extend it towards the south on the area currently occupied by the port’s workshops and the lighthouse authority.
In this connection, Caen-Normandie CCI, which oversees the running of Caen-Ouistreham commercial docks, launched a ten-year foresight study whose conclusions are expected in the spring of 2025. The nature of the works will be determined in accordance with the findings of the study.
2- BECOMING A KEY PLAYER IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MARINE RENEWABLE ENERGIES IN FRANCE
Maintenance facility for the Dieppe-Le-Tréport offshore wind farm
While the EMDT company began the construction of the new building on 12 February 2025, Ports of Normandy will be responsible for the development of the land and the port infrastructures required for processing crew transfer vessels (CTV).
Works will focus on the corner of Gaston Lalitte wharf and the east pier, which is currently used for unloading marine aggregates and heavy cargo on to hard-standing of more than 50,000 sq. m.
Works schedule:
- Late spring–early summer 2025: install mains services and roads on the land
- August–November 2024: deepen the docks (dredging and rock removal)
At the same time, Ports of Normandy will install piles while EMDT will build pontoons which will be operational well before the base is completed. This means they will be available for use during the construction of the wind farm.
Budget: The total cost of the developments under the supervision of Ports of Normandy amounts to €3.5 million.
While these works are on-going, EMDT has also applied for the use of a building on Rue Charles Blound in Dieppe to set up offices which will complement the works offices currently in construction on Somme wharf.
Port of Cherbourg’s continuing adaptation to marine renewable energies
Ports of Normandy pursues its commitment to the energy transition with the adaptation of infrastructures at the Port of Cherbourg. This is in response to the growing needs of marine renewable energies. Already positioned as a key actor in fixed offshore wind turbines, with 100 ha of hard-standing and a heavy-duty wharf of up to 50 tonnes per sq. m, Cherbourg has contributed to the wind farms off Saint-Brieuc, Courseulles-sur-Mer, Fécamp and Le Tréport.
Faced with the rapid developments in wind-turbine technologies and the emergence of the floating wind-turbine market, Ports of Normandy is getting prepared.
To do this, Ports of Normandy is working towards the extension of the Flamands wharf (FL0) by 2028. The extension will be 140 m long and able to bear 20 tonnes per sq. m. The total budget for the works is €30M (moving the dyke: €6M – Extending the north wharf: €20M – Dredging: €4M). A request for €10.5M in funding has been made to the ADEME to help finance this investment. This request was made in coordination with HAROPA as part of an initiative to organize the roles of Normandy ports in the floating wind turbine market.
In order to bring this project to a successful conclusion, regulatory and environmental procedures are planned for 2025 and 2026: Authorization procedure with public consultation in 2025 & Public consultation in 2026. Works are scheduled to start in early 2027.
In addition to this investment, operations are being undertaken in the outer harbour to study currents, winds, and the seabed. These studies are being co-funded by the ADEME (50%) because Ports of Normandy was one of the winners of its Call for Proposals on the subject in 2023. These studies aim to better define the conditions for potentially mooring the floats in the outer harbour.
In terms of the business plan, all three ports will be involved in the creation of wind farms in the Channel.
- At Cherbourg in 2025:
o Pursue production and exportation of LMWP blades at Cherbourg
o Launch phase 2 of operations to install the foundations of the Le Tréport wind farm. With the completion of the Pin Piles campaign, the next step will be the Jacket campaign.
o Start of the Courseulles wind farm and the continuance of the Dieppe-Le Tréport wind farm.
o Asso.subsea will continue its operations to protect wind-turbine connecting cables for the wind farms in the Channel.
Lastly, in the longer term, Ports of Normandy has decided in favour of setting aside an area in Cherbourg docks for the “Eoliennes en Mer Manche Normandie” consortium, winner of the Centre Manche 1 wind farm tender (AO4) for the period 2029–32.
The Port of Cherbourg will have a key role to play in the deployment of floating wind turbines in the Channel. The French government’s plans for its eastern Channel coast and North Sea coast includes the installation of approximately 10 GW by 2040, notably through the invitation to tender AO8 Centre Manche 2 and subsequent. The winning bid for the AO8 will be announced this year.
3 – CREATING JOBS AND GENERATING ADDED VALUE FOR OUR REGION
Project to improve the interfaces for La Cité de la Mer Museum and the cruise ship business
Part of the building is used for both the museum and cruise ships in port (luggage room and passageways).
Because of this, when cruise ships are alongside, the museum cannot be fully open and the luggage room is not accessible despite it being of particular interest to visitors.
The plan is therefore to add an outside passageway to this building, with movable screens to separate museum visitors from cruise ship passengers. This will allow for the simultaneous operation of the museum, the luggage room, and the cruise ship wharf. The upper passageway will be protected by glazing so as to optimize the visitor experience.
Budget: €1,650,000 – 80% will be funded by the Council of the Cotentin Urban Area, and 20% by Normandy Council.
Ports of Normandy is undertaking this project in parallel with the electrification of the wharves for cruise ships. The goal is to reinforce this business at Cherbourg docks for the long term, while responding to the environmental imperatives of the energy transition.
In addition, studies are currently on-going in the Port of Caen-Ouistreham with a view to providing shore power in the zone reserved for cruise ships.
At Caen, Ports of Normandy will undertake an assessment to determine the feasibility of shore power provision in collaboration with the Urban Community. In any event, Ports of Normandy has retained the capacity to receive cruise ship visits (during the sale of land on the peninsula) and to equip the wharf with an electrical supply if need be.
In 2025 Ports of Normandy will complete works to improve and modernize the marine hard-standing in Cherbourg, including:
- Improving and securing access to the hard-standing
- Improving the distribution of fluids on the marine hard-standing so that the various service providers can obtain water and electricity throughout the hard-standing
Access is managed digitally by the teams at the swingbridge. Programmable RFID cards give access to all the services that Ports of Normandy provides on the marine hard-standing.
At Dieppe, after the closure of MIM in 2025, PADMOS announced it was taking on MIM’s former premises, and 10 employees. This announcement confirms the Port of Dieppe’s role and attractiveness in the ship building and repair industry.
Dredging Saint-Pierre Dock
At Caen, 30,000 cubic metres of sediments were removed from Saint-Pierre dock in the winter of 2024–25. The purpose of this operation was to return the dock to its original depth and ensure its future availability for visiting yachts. The dock had not been dredged for decades, but now it has. The next stage of the works will start in March 2025 and involves processing the dredged sediment on the site in Mondeville.
Budget for the operation: €3.8M
Modernization of Cherbourg fish market
Ports of Normandy, in collaboration with the Council of the Cotentin Urban Area, is planning the reconstruction of the fish market in order to better integrate the building in its urban environment and to adapt it to the needs of tomorrow’s fishing industry. The current building is too big and in poor condition, and along with its surroundings, requires a complete renovation.
In order to understand the needs of tomorrow’s fishing industry, a foresight study on the fishing industry was carried out between September 2024 and January 2025. Concluding in late January, the study found that a fishing industry of up to 5,000 tonnes to be a realistic estimate. It highlighted the possibility of optimizing the space by reorganizing the flows and mutualizing certain functions within the future building.
Ports of Normandy has delegated the entirety of the supervision of the works to the Council of the Cotentin Urban Area.
Overall budget for the operation: €15M Projected start of works: 2026–27
Modernization of Dieppe fish market’s equipment and building to meet current standards
Ports of Normandy has provided €2M of funding to the port’s operating body in order to undertake major modernization works. These works will include the upgrading of the refrigeration units to comply with current standards, and the revision of the brine distribution system with the addition of a filtering system.
Ports of Normandy is working on the economic development of its properties, while ensuring that it generates extra port business.
COLBERT BRIDGE
Listed as a historic monument in 2020, Colbert bridge will be undergoing a complete restoration. Its structure, comprising a mixture of the original puddled steel and post-war steel, is in very poor condition and is going to be restored. We are also going to renovate its road surface and enlarge the pavements to give access to people with restricted mobility.
Civil engineering works are also planned, such as repairs to the paving of the bridge’s turning circle and restoration of the stairs, the travel stops and the top-section of the wharf. The operator’s cabin will also be restored and the power station’s façade renovated. Lastly, the operation includes installing lighting to illuminate the bridge at night.
Latest developments
While the presence of lead continues to be an issue despite the two stripping operations, the remainder of the works is on schedule, in particular the bridge-turning mechanism, the area in which it rotates, the control room designed by Jean Prouvé (1946), and the engine room.
Until we have found the origin of the lead emissions, it will be difficult to commit to a precise schedule. But for all that, it now seems clear that the works will spill over into the summer, so the goal now is to limit as much as possible this overrun of the initial schedule.
COLOMBELLES BRIDGE
A strategic link between the east and west sides of Caen, the bridge is used by 18,000 vehicles every day, 7% of which are HGVs.
Breaking down regularly, which causes considerable traffic disruption, the bridge will be replaced by a new structure.
This future bridge is essential, it will be the main link between the new La Presqu’Ile Hérouvillaise area and the “old” town. Designed to ensure safety and smooth traffic flows, the new bridge will allow for the happy cohabitation of pedestrians, cyclists and drivers, while guaranteeing the optimal movement of shipping on the canal.
When the new site for the bridge was validated, it became apparent that the district heating system had to be rerouted so as not to hinder the construction of the future bridge and its access roads. The works will be spread over 2 phases:
- Phase 1 (from May 2023 to late June 2024): rerouting the district heating system. During the works, one of the conduits was found to be leaking. This had to be repaired and it was decided to build two new conduits, one being a backup.
- Phase 2 (from January 2025 to late June 2025): building the two new conduits
For the works on the bridge:
- September 2025: Works start
- September 2026 to January 2027: Works to build the access roads, destruction of the current bridge, and compensatory measures.
The overall budget for the development is €20M, including €700k for the surveys.
ENVIRONMENTAL UPGRADE OF THE MONTALIVET DAM
Montalivet dam was built across the river Orne in 1908 and plays a key role in the operation of the Port of Caen-Ouistreham. It serves to maintain a constant water level in the Orne in order to supply the canal between Caen and the sea so large commercial vessels can access the city.
To ensure the ecological coherence of the Orne, animal species must be able to travel freely along its waters and sediment must also be allowed to circulate. The dam must not prevent such movement, but instead facilitate it. Currently the structure is too selective and does not ensure free passage for all the species targeted by the regulations, such as eels, Atlantic salmon, sea trout, river trout, sea lamprey, river lamprey, and allis shad.
As a result, the Montalivet dam needs to be improved to ensure the ecological coherence of the Orne, and to contribute to safeguarding its biodiversity.
More studies will have to be done since, so far, findings have only given rise to a plan that cannot be financed. The objective of these additional studies is to complete the previous studies and assessments, taking into account the specific workings of the bridge.
Budget: €100,000
Renovation of Ouistreham’s west lock
Ouistreham west lock was built between August 1958 and September 1962, on the site of the old lock and dock dating from 1857. In early 2019, teams from Ports of Normandy observed some movement in the structure. Consolidation works were carried out between 2019 and 2021 to ensure the good working order of the structure. More substantial works have been initiated to renovate the lock and ensure its future.
After several geotechnical and structural studies on and around the structure, Ports of Normandy launched works in early 2024 to fulfil three objectives: fully renovate the west lock by securing the structure’s pierhead over the long term; increasing the length of the wharf for landing fish; and changing the downstream gates because the corrosion resistant coating had come to the end of its useful life.
Civil-engineering works were undertaken and completed in 2024. These works will return the lock, which is currently operating in degraded mode, to good working order. The next step will be to close the lock in May for works to change the gates, which will be carried out by the EMTF company. Lock will reopen to traffic in late July 2025.
The projected budget to date is €11.21M.
Demolition of the Afrique hangar
Ports of Normandy has initiated a project to demolish the Afrique hangar as part of its reconstruction strategy for the Port of Dieppe. The project has three objectives:
- Optimize space at the docks: Free up hard-standing to satisfy the growing demands linked to new activities, such as bulk and EPR.
- Reorganize how the wharves operate: Accompany the Call for Expressions of Interest from the body operating the Port
of Dieppe in order to reorganize the Maroc and Indes wharves. - Build modern infrastructures: Replace the Afrique hangar and the building on Indes wharf (too costly to renovate to current standards) with smaller buildings that comply with current standards and are capable of hosting new commercial activities. In their current condition these two buildings are no longer covered by insurance.
Studies are currently underway to determine how to renew the mains services (electricity and sewage). In September 2025, under the convention signed with Ports of Normandy, the EPFN will become the temporary owner of the buildings and will undertake their demolition. In 2026 Ports of Normandy will develop this new area as a storage site, adding and compacting fill and levelling the surface of the site.
Estimated budget: Rerouting the mains services: €2–300K
At Cherbourg, a new occupant for the former Thomson site in the Mielles industrial zone will be announced in 2025, after a Call for Expressions of Interest in the summer of 2024.
The site will have been cleaned and levelled beforehand.
Planning and Sustainable Development Programmes
In 2025 Ports of Normandy will finalize the Programmes for the ports of Caen-Ouistreham and Dieppe. This strategic programme expresses the organization’s plans for its real estate. It is founded on three principles:
- A planning tool to organize and optimize port land over the short, medium and long terms, in connection with its surrounding districts.
- A consultation tool to encourage dialogue with local government and stakeholders, which can integrate major projects in the future.
- An urban planning tool which can contribute to the drafting of planning documents (SCOT, PLUI, SRADDET).
The Planning and Sustainable Development Programme has three pillars:
- Economic strategy: Support existing activities, attract innovative projects, and consolidate local industries and employment.
- Spatial strategy: Define the usage of port areas and their connection to the surrounding district.
- Investment plan: Schedule the necessary works to modernize infrastructures and satisfy development objectives.
These programmes ensure a coherent and scalable vision for the development of the ports, one that is in phase with economic and environmental issues.
ABOUT PORTS OF NORMANDY
Owner and administrator of the ports of Caen-Ouistreham, Cherbourg, and Dieppe, Ports of Normandy represents:
9,000 direct and indirect jobs (INSEE study 2016)/ €493m invested in Normandy since its creation in 2007 / 100 ha dedicated to Marines Renewable Energies, a maintenance base in Caen-Ouistreham, and another to come in Dieppe / 2 million cross-Channel passengers per year / 6.5 million tonnes of cargo per year / More than 60 cruise ship visits per year and more than 300,000 cruise passengers / 3,200 marina berths, a dry stack marina, 25,000 overnight stays i.e. 7,000 visitors per year / +12,000 T of fish i.e. 1/3 of all fisheries landings in Normandy / +300 ships taken out of water for repair services per year.
Ports of Normandy, an alliance between Normandy Council, the Departments of Calvados, Manche and Seine-Maritime, and the urban areas of Caen-la-Mer, Le Cotentin and Dieppe-Maritime, serving economic development in the region. Learn more about Ports of Normandy at portsdenormandie.fr
Press contacts:
Anne Pétri-Maillard +33 2 31 53 64 53/ 06 23 50 48 99 – [email protected]
