The SEMOP of the Rhine Port at Colmar Neuf-Brisach commenced operations at the industrial port zone on April 1, 2021. CFNR Transport SAS, a French subsidiary of the Rhenus Group, has thereby expanded its port handling operations into the Rhine basin. With its proven expertise in multimodal transport and port operations in the French Grand Est region, CFNR Transport was selected by the Syndicat Mixte de Gestion (SMO) as the principal shareholder of the SEMOP.
Within the new framework of public service concessions approved in late 2020, operation of the Rhine port at Colmar Neuf-Brisach was awarded to the SEMOP (Société d’Economie Mixte à Opération unique), a novel regulatory mechanism recently established in the waterways sector. The concession was awarded for a period of thirty years. CFNR Transport SAS has 51 percent shareholding in the SEMOP of the Rhine port at Colmar Neuf-Brisach while SMO holds 34 percent equity stake and Banque des Territoires has 15 percent equity. Operational since April 1, 2021, the SEMOP has taken over the port’s twenty-eight employees. Thanks to this innovative arrangement, a new era dawns for the Rhine port. In line with the concession agreement, two strategic objectives shall be implemented: modernization of the existing port infrastructure, including the heavy cargo platform, and development of the industrial port zone, in particular the ZAC EcoRhena along the Alsace canal. This is part of the Post-Fessenheim project led by the public authorities. The entities financing these investments, amounting to twenty-seven million Euros, include the Caisse d’Epargne Grand Est Europe, the Banque Populaire Alsace Lorraine Champagne Ardennes, the Banque des Territoires and the Rhenus Group.
“We are very proud to have been chosen to implement this innovative and longterm port and logistics project and to align our services as a major operator in port handling with local regional development in Grand Est. The support of our parent company, the Rhenus Group, has been crucial for its expertise in port handling across Europe and its financial strength for long-term investments”, says Jean-Marc Thomas, Managing Director of CFNR Transport SAS and of the SEMOP of the Rhine port at Colmar Neuf-Brisach.