This Friday, 4th September, the dominant theme is the transportation of cargo by rail. National and
port players, local and regional elected officials and representatives of the Port Community have
come together at the Cargill industrial facility at Montoir de Bretagne’s multi-bulk terminal in order
to witness the arrival of one of the first trains operated by OFP Atlantique to transport a consignment
of rapeseed from the Central France Region.
Driven by Cargill, IDEA Groupe, OFP Atlantique and Nantes – Saint Nazaire Port, the aim of the event
is to encourage the use of this high-volume mode of cargo transportation, a strong vector for the
development of port-based activities and an environmentally friendly transport solution.
At present, eleven industrial facilities possess their own railway sidings at the Port of Nantes – Saint
Nazaire. They are Descours et Cabaud, Invivo and LBC at the Cheviré terminals, Yara France, Sea
Invest and Invivo at Montoir de Bretagne and IDEA Groupe, STX France and AMD Solutions France in
Saint Nazaire. The Cargill Group has industrial railway sidings in Saint Nazaire and at Montoir de
Bretagne.
1.1 million tonnes of cargo were conveyed via the Nantes – Saint Nazaire port-based railway network
in 2014. It is the stated ambition of the Loire Estuary economic stakeholders to see that volume
treble by 2020-2030.
–
Cargill, an Industrial Company Connected to the Rail Network
With over 400 000 tonnes of rapeseed and sunflower seed being conveyed from the Central France
Region to the port facilities on the Loire Estuary, Cargill is a major supplier of railfreight. Its cereal
consignments represent more than a third of the railfreight traffic at the Port of Nantes – Saint
Nazaire.
The Cargill factory at Montoir de Bretagne specializes in crushing rapeseed. The facility adds to the
offer of oilseed products already proposed by Saint Nazaire (sunflower seed) and Brest (rapeseed
and soya). The oils produced are mainly intended for Diester Atlantique’s biodiesel plant, which is
located nearby.
OFP Atlantique, Port-Based Rail Operator
OFP Atlantique’s shareholders are EuroCargo Rail, the Port of La Rochelle and Nantes – Saint Nazaire
Port.
This operator offers full, nationwide rail traction services for customers at the Ports of La Rochelle
and Nantes – Saint Nazaire, over short, medium and long distances and for all types of products,
including liquid bulk cargo (petroleum products, fertilizers, etc.), solid bulk cargo (grain and cereals,
calcium carbonate and so on) and industrial products (paper pulp, glass bottles, etc.).
In 2014, OFP Atlantique recorded a 41 % increase in the volumes transported, which amounted to
466 000 tonnes. The spring of 2014 saw the first consignments of oil carried by OFP Atlantique
between the refinery at Donges and the Centre Ouest Céréales agricultural cooperative based in
Chalandray (Western-Central Region of France). In the course of nine months, nearly 50 000 tonnes
transited between the two sites.
In April 2015, the rail operator was awarded the Prize for Innovation at the SITL International
Transport and Logistics Trade Show, for the best transport and logistics service provision. OFP
Atlantique’s ambition is to handle up to 1 million tonnes of freight by 2017-2018.
–
IDEA Groupe, Cargo Handler and Approved Port-Based Rail Operator
For nearly 90 years now, IDEA Groupe has been consolidating regional port-based activities while
focusing at the same time on a sustainable development model. Its strategy takes into account the
social and environmental impacts of its activities, so as to adopt the best possible practices,
combining economic logic and eco-responsibility.
The development of railfreight at the port terminals has been a part of that strategy for several
years. IDEA Groupe has approved rail operator status at the Port of Nantes – Saint Nazaire. Working
on behalf of its customers, the Company is in a position to charter rolling stock and to carry out all
checks and railfreight handling operations at its own facilities and at those of its customers.
Nantes – Saint Nazaire Port, Owner and Administrator of the OFP Port-Based Rail Network
Since 4th September 2008, Nantes – Saint Nazaire Port has been the owner of a 40-kilometre-long
port-based railway network. The Port Authority has chosen to entrust Europorte, its appointed rail
infrastructure manager, with the task of operating and maintaining the port-based rail network.
Determined to promote modal shift, Nantes – Saint Nazaire Port is keen to develop railfreight. Many
actions have been undertaken since 2008, including the implementation of a long-term maintenance
plan for the port-based rail network and the signing of connection agreements with French Network
Rail Organization RFF and with industrial firms that are port-based rail network users.
Two main actions have been initiated for the coming years in order to increase the volume of rail
traffic:
 Strengthening the full-train-load transport offer by increasing reception capacity at the Le Priory
electrified-track facility at Montoir de Bretagne, through the creation of new stabling tracks and
1 000 metres of electrified track to handle inbound and outbound rail consignments. The aim is
also to assist the development plans of port-based firms in the agri-foodstuffs, building and civil
engineering sectors by providing new industrial railway sidings.
 Assisting the development of the container terminal through the completion of a combined
transport project at the Montoir de Bretagne facility.
–