The Grand Port Maritime du Havre is located at the mouth of the Seine River, in the northwest of France. Integrated into a Natura 2000 estuary protected site, it’s the largest port for external trade in the country and fifth in northern Europe in terms of dimensions.
At the end of 2019 it launched the third part of its expansion project, which consisted of the extension of an existing 3,500-meter quay with two new container berths. The French contractor Soletanche Bachy was awarded with the construction contract.
Together with Soletanche Bachy, ShibataFender- Team equipped these new berths, P11 and P12, measuring 350 meters each, with 45 Special Element Fender Systems (FE-S 1250) of 7,200 mm in height. Our French colleagues considered all the specific project conditions—including the big tidal variations of around eight meters and the requested fender design by the customer—to safely accommodate the berthing of large vessels (more than 300 meters).
These fender systems offer an interesting feature— they were manufactured with a customized fastening system that allows the removal of the PE plates from the front, without the need to access the fenders from behind. Additionally, we also supplied 20 sets of steel ladders in different lengths.
As leading providers of customized fender solutions, we at ShibataFenderTeam are pleased to have contributed to the safety of marine operations and to be part of this project that has allowed the Port of Le Havre to strengthen its position as the leading French port on the world stage.
Reprinted from Marine Construction Magazine, Issue II, 2024
