📋 Tender Overview
Acronym
21-EU-TG-SEINE-ESCAUT 2.1
Objective
The Seine-Escaut global project is one of the major transport infrastructure projects in the European Union. It aims to bring together a network of 1,100 km of large-gauge inland waterways between the Seine basin and the Scheldt (Escaut) and Maas basins in Belgium, in a bid to upgrade access for modern river convoys from 2,000 tons to more than 4,000 tons and to drive forward the modal shift in freight transport from the road towards the waterways. The project, SEINE-ESCAUT 2.1, pursues activities undertaken since 2005 by the partners, in particular within the CEF project SEINE-ESCAUT 2020 (CEF Action 2014-EU-TM-0373-M) and as described in the Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/1118. Subsequent to the future opening of the Canal Seine-Nord Europe and the significant upgrades of the inland waterway network across the border in France and Belgium, the number and size of the vessels on the Seine-Escaut large-gauge network are expected to grow considerably. Today however, existing infrastructure and equipment limit the capacity of the network and present a real risk to the continuity of navigation. As a matter of fact, every tonne of freight transferred from road to water enables greenhouse gas emissions to be reduced by 4 to 5 times, as well as energy consumption per tonne transported to be reduced by 4 times. Inland waterways are thus a major lever in the fight against climate change and for energy sobriety. Therefore, on the 1,100 km of the large-gauge network, the inland waterways and their infrastructure need to be either modernised to ensure the reliability and the safety of the navigation or upgraded to accommodate larger vessels. Moreover, to improve the reliability, fluidity, service offer and safety of navigation, systems of remote control will be deployed on key infrastructures. Seine-Escaut tackles some major European, as well as regional and local, challenges: it encourages low-carbon transport to suit future economic and commercial needs and boosts territorial continuity for an area with more than 40 million inhabitants. The project will be coordinated by the French Ministry for the Ecological Transition (MTE) and implemented by the waterway managing authorities Voies Navigables de France (VNF), De Vlaamse Waterweg nv (DVW) and the Service Public de Wallonie (SPW). In order to ensure a smooth coordination of the project, the Société du Canal Seine-Nord Europe is an associated partner. The overarching coordination of the project is overviewed by the Inter-Governmental Commission (IGC) with the operational support of the Seine–Escaut European Economic Interest Grouping (EEIG). SEINE-ESCAUT 2.1 is broken down into 9 work packages and links two countries: France and Belgium (the Walloon Region and the Flemish Region). - Work Package 01 includes horizontal activities carried out together by the beneficiaries. - Work Package 02 includes studies in France (Nord Pas De Calais network) t
