Poralu Marine is accelerating the development of its concrete offering

The company is strengthening its position in a €300 million global market and is recruiting an industry expert.

In response to new trends in waterfront development, the company is expanding its concrete offering to provide a comprehensive service, complementary to its range of aluminum pontoons, to meet all needs, regardless of the technical challenges. The company aims to achieve €10 to €15 million in revenue from these projects within five years.

An international expert in port facilities, recognized for over 40 years, Poralu Marine (Wearth Group) is today the world leader in the design and construction of aluminum marinas. Faced with the increasing global frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, the company is strengthening its concrete offering to enhance the resilience of exposed facilities. This alternative, complementary to its aluminum range, allows for a comprehensive service, meeting the emerging needs of waterfront development while guaranteeing durable, stable, and safe protection, even in the most demanding and technically challenging environments.

Meeting the needs of all sites, in France and internationally

Whether for boating, industrial commercial ports, or floating promenades, Poralu Marine provides a technical solution tailored to the needs of all types of infrastructure. When conditions demand it (high waves, hurricanes, the presence of large vessels, significant weight to support, etc.), concrete is the ideal solution from a safety, regulatory, economic, and practical standpoint.

Concrete infrastructure, whether pontoons, wave breakers or promenades, is intended for a multitude of uses: protection of maritime structures, ice breakers, marinas, fishing ports, military ports, commercial ports, CTVs (boats in charge of the maintenance of offshore wind farms), etc.

It is also a way to combine functions, like the equipment installed by Poralu Marine in Geelong: it is the longest public floating wave attenuator in Australia, which protects both the marina and acts as a public promenade on the water.

With the rise of natural swimming areas, such as the Grenelle swimming area in the Seine in Paris, created by the Wearth Group, the issue of shared use will become increasingly important. In the future, it will be necessary to design infrastructure that combines swimming and river navigation, for example, through concrete pontoons to ensure the safety of swimmers while allowing boats to navigate simultaneously.

By strengthening its position in this market, Poralu Marine aims to reach 10 to 15 million euros in revenue on this type of project within 5 years.

Custom-made solutions, from design to installation

To meet these technical needs, Poralu Marine offers a solution that is still relatively uncommon in France: prefabrication. The construction of these concrete structures takes place in a factory, and the equipment is then shipped to the site. The advantage lies in absolute control over the entire production process, in an environment designed for a predefined setting. By controlling temperature and humidity, the manufacturer ensures the delivery of equipment with consistent quality and a lifespan of 25 to 50 years. Poralu Marine relies on production partners in various countries to ensure manufacturing is always as close as possible to the project locations. The company notably benefits from a licensing agreement with Inland and Coastal Marina System, an Irish partner that has been manufacturing pontoons for the UK for some twenty years.

According to Christophe Sauné, Director of Business Development at Wearth Group: “Today, we are seeing an increase in demand for concrete infrastructure in two ways. Firstly, because sites well protected from waves are (for the most part) already taken: the development of marinas is now taking place on more challenging sites, which require specific protections. Secondly, because the development of waterways, driven by local authorities, is an emerging theme: swimming, floating buildings, promenades, relaxation and leisure areas are all new needs that require a suitable technical solution for developing bodies of water. Through our expertise, we offer a 360° solution by combining both aluminum and concrete depending on the site. With a global market of 300 million euros per year, the floating concrete sector represents a real driver of development.”

Example in Ardèche: a crucial operation for the Tournon-sur-Rhône marina

In Tournon-sur-Rhône (07), the town council wanted to redevelop the Marcel Guinand river port to provide a stopover just steps from the historic town center. Poralu Marine installed aluminum pontoons and a concrete breakwater on the river, allowing for boat moorings, protecting the marina from waves, and creating a pedestrian promenade. This project enhances the port (and its immediate surroundings) of this town, which has seen a growth in river tourism over the past fifteen years.

Andrea Padovan joins Poralu Marine

To accelerate the deployment of this expertise, Poralu Marine announces the appointment of Andrea Padovan as Head of Concrete Services. With over 25 years of experience in the design, engineering, and delivery of floating structures and concrete wave attenuators, he brings a multidisciplinary and solution-oriented approach to maritime infrastructure projects. Having led teams and managed complex international projects worldwide, Andrea Padovan leverages his expertise to expand Poralu Marine's concrete services in France and internationally.