The hub of Boulogne-sur-Mer
- From Scandinavia to Spain , a network of maritime lines allowing faster liaisons than land transport
- A fruitful co-operation between road and sea operators
- The first High Speed "Motorway of the Sea" thanks to HSC ships
The BOULOGNE-based hub of maritime services is a first : the "hub" concept of co-ordinated transport lines is finally applied to regular maritime lines, thanks to the high speed capabilities of a new generation of HSC vessels.
Meeting a demand expressed by road hauliers
Back in 2003, hauliers brought to the attention of the Port Authority the never ending increases in road transport costs and operating difficulties : accidents, road congestion, tolls, driving restrictions, etc. .... These increasing difficulties were about to endanger the sea food processing industry of Boulogne-sur-Mer, an undisputed leader in western Europe.
Hauliers were ready to shift from 100% road transport to sea based multi-modal systems, provided the service delivered would be equivalent to or better than the previous road based one. Unfortunately, the mean speed of standard RoRo ships is not higher than 30 or 35 kph, a speed which is not acceptable to clients on long distance transport and no solution could be envisaged at that time.
The project came to a new start when HSC ships could be used as the service they deliver can compete with road transport.
A modern concept for maritime services : speed and co-ordinated lines for the benefit of the road haulier
HSC ships ensure a mean speed of 60 kph in all weather conditions, a performance wich is close to the mean figures of road transport.
The "hub" co-ordinates a network of lines servicing several destinations; a wide area is covered by the system; freight trailers can be shipped quickly over long distances by sea thus avoiding the major part of the land carriage.
Important freight flows can be concentrated on the same maritime axis : the famous "traffic massification" is therefore reached wich can result in high frequencies of service and attractive pricing.
Partner ports belonging to the network offer ancillary services adapted to the fast ship philosophy so that no time is wasted during operations on the ground.
The alternative maritime link of the door-to-door logistic chain is becoming more efficient than the road portion it replaces.
Hauliers save time and improve their profitability; the average people, in turn, benefit from decreased pollution and reduced road congestion.
A model international co-operation
The initiative of BOULOGNE-SUR-MER eventually led to the set-up of a network of Motorways of the Sea on the European north-south route from Norway to Spain and Morocco.
In 2005 and 2006 the ports of DRAMMEN (N), SANTANDER (E), SHEERNESS (GB) and VIGO (E) signed the Memorandum of Understanding providing for the adaptation of infrastructure and operations to the effective management of high speed regular RoRo lines with HSC vessels.
This network is bound to be developped according to the needs and demands of road hauliers.
Last News
Francis LEROY, President of the Chambre de Commerce of Boulogne-sur-Mer, invited all professionnals of the Boulogne neighbourhood to attend the opening ceremony of BHT.
The development program of BHT was presented by its President Patrick MAILLOT.
BHT, a subsidiary of HUB PORT BOULOGNE SUR MER (HPBSM) is in charge of the activities of the former company BFT (BOULOGNE FOREST TERMINAL) specialized in the field of forest products.
Starting from this historical basis, the new management is prepared to expand BHT activities to all port-related services.
The Hub becomes operational
Boulogne-Hub-Terminal (BHT) resumed the activities of the former BFT and acquires a capacity to manage goods flow and storage near the future Ro-Ro gangways on the Sarraz Bournet slip of the port of Boulogne. B.H.T. offers the full range of port services: ships consignment, cargo handling, logistics and transportation.