EVA and Grand Port Maritime de La Rochelle sign 2 terminal agreements.

EVA (Etablissement Vraquier de l'Atlantique), established in 2007 by the SICA Atalntique and Maritime Kühn groups was allocated on October 1st, 2010 the 2 latest terminals of GPM LR, the "Anse Saint Marc" and "Mole d'Escale Est".

After more than a year of negociations with GPM LR this agreement in line with the "Plan de Relance des Ports" and the port reform awards EVA and its share holders the operation for the next 33 years of over 400 m berth length.

ASM berth should be delivered end of 2010 Mole d'Escale Est : 45 000 m² of land and a 3600 m² covered space.

With an accessible draft of 14 m, the berths wil be able to accomodate all sizes of ships upto Panamax.

EVA owns three mobile cranes with a capacity of upto 40 T, a hopper and other equipment enabling the two groups to handle any merchandise for their customers.

Next step in the port reform, presently under negotiation at a national and local levels, is to welcome the staff transferred from GPM LR into companies common to the different awarders of port terminals.

Thanks to the above, SICA ATLANTIQUE reenforces its position as cargo handler in La Rochelle in particular in dry cargo imports.

In September 2010 the largest tanker ever to call La Rochelle-Pallice was consigned to Agence Maritime Thomas. (according to habour Master).

L.O.A : 250 m
Beam : 44 m
Draft : 14,80 m
Deadweight : 112 793 T

Loaded cargo : 125 354 cbm of Gasoil

This tanker discharged 38 250 mt at La Rochelle-Pallice
A start to the new season under the signs of Panamaxes and strikes.

Upto end October no less than 7 Panamaxes will have loaded all or part of their cargo Quai Lombard. 7 vessels of 225 metres LOA and 32 metres beam in 4 months, a record.

With nearly 900 000 tons loaded since July, activity remains high despite a turnover of 100 000 tons less compared to the same period last year.

The programme has been affected by the strikes since begining October. Several days of blockades limited considerably reception and lead to a total stoppage on 23rd September due to lack of storage availability.

The above situation is likely to disrupt the programme for emptying the silo to leave space for the on-going maize harvest.