The Major Seaport of Bordeaux

The Atlantic Port of Bordeaux is in the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, in the south west of France. It is a dynamic region, rich in resources and skills clusters in different sectors such as agri-food, wood and the papermaking industry, aeronautics, space, defence, new materials such as composites, green chemistry, and renewable energies, amongst others. 

Multimodal hub

The Port of Bordeaux is the Atlantic point of entry to the European Union and Western Europe. At the heart of a dense and varied communication network, the Major Seaport of Bordeaux serves as an excellent multimodal platform:

• Connected via 5 large motorway routes: A89, A62, A63, A65, A10
• Rail network links the port terminal directly to the area of Bordeaux; the South-Europe Atlantic high-speed train line (LGV) connects Paris to Bordeaux in 2 hours
• Bordeaux Mérignac regional airport

Major Seaport of Bordeaux in numbers

• 65,000 containers per year
• 6 million tonnes of goods including:
• - Highest amount of traffic: the hydrocarbon industry et chemical and petrol and derivatives of petrol products represent more than 50% of all traffic at the port
• - Second highest amount of traffic: export of cereals (around 14% of all traffic)
• A port that is connected to around 300 other ports around the whole world
• A driving force for innovation, the Port of Bordeaux supports the development of river water turbines. For example, SEENEOH, an experimental area for exploitable energy and testing, unique in Europe, dedicated to river water turbines.

Bordeaux Port: infrastructures

• Availability of real estate dedicated to port industrial-logistical projects, availability of property and storage warehouses on the dockside, hangar of 12,000m², free zone of 59 hectares, ISPS compliant port sites, adapted quay resistance, ro-ro ramp, simplified customs procedures, strategic tax benefits, adapted equipment and services (high-capacity cranes and gantries), experienced port operators.
• The major seaport of Bordeaux has 7 specialised terminals:

• The Ambès port terminal is suitable mainly for the transport and storage of hydrocarbons and chemical products.
• The Verdon port terminal, fore-port in deep water (12.5 metres draught). Mainly for industrial bulk logistics, heavy lift and large cruise ship logistics.
• The Pauillac port terminal is for oil traffic and Airbus logistics for the transport of A380 components.
• The Blaye port terminal is dedicated to liquid bulk and cereal exports.
• The Grattequina port terminal, near the centre of Bordeaux, is a multipurpose ideal for logistics and industrial activities.
• The Bassens port terminal concentrates handled traffic (recycling, cereals, oilseeds, industrial bulk, forestry products, heavy packages, etc) and also cruise ships. Bassens is one of 18 sites in the world for the dismantling and recovery of waste approved by the European Union, and the largest in France.
• The Bordeaux centre terminal, the ‘Port of the moon’ dedicated to cruise calls and docking in the historical centre of Bordeaux.