HAROPA PORT said the French government had included five sites located on its administered land in the "France 2030 Turnkey Sites" scheme, which aims to speed up the country's reindustrialisation.

An initial shortlist at the national level led to the selection of 55 sites that offer major potential for industrial development, and the five areas in HAROPA PORT-administered land total nearly 250 hectares (ha) — offering an opportunity in the Northern Range ports.

"The aim of the government is to accelerate the identification and development of industrial sites ... The five sites identified on HAROPA PORT land will benefit from support from central and local government," the announcement said.

It added that the French government scheme enables real estate to be showcased to industrial operators in conjunction with shorter lead times for official procedures and on-site set-up.

These optimised lead times are intended to allow HAROPA PORT to deliver construction-ready plots for new industrial activities by 2030.

Four sites are located in the Le Havre port industrial area and one in the equivalent area in Rouen.

HAROPA PORT said the certified sites offer excellent geographical and operational profiles due to their connections to mass freight transport networks, clusters of business and logistics activities, infrastructure, services and key utilities.

These plots are intended for industrial activities that meet the needs of the ecological transition for major strategic activities for the country.

The five sites selected on HAROPA PORT land

HAROPA PORT —  one of Europe's major port complexes — said the turnkey sites located in the Le Havre port area cover areas approximately ranging between 25 and 60 hectares.

The West A29 site in the town of Rogerville, France, immediately adjacent to the Le Havre Grand Canal and the A29 highway, has an area of 60 hectares; on the eastern side of the same highway, an area of approximately 25 hectares has also been certified. 

Also, in Rogerville, the port noted that the Southeast Grand Canal site located near MTV (multi-bulk terminal) would provide an area in the region of 30 ha.

Lastly, on the southern part of the Le Havre port area, the South Grand Canal site will provide 54 hectares of real estate suitable for expansion, depending on requirements.

Meanwhile, HAROPA PORT said the Grand-Couronne/Moulineaux industrial platform in the port area south of Rouen has also been certified as a France 2030 Turnkey Site.

The port said this platform—75 hectares, extendable—is located west of a logistics zone covering almost 200 hectares: RVSL (Rouen Seine valley logistics platform), which is host to a concentration of high-value-added goods consolidation activities. The available site is also near TCMD (container and sundry cargo terminal).