New record investments for the port of Marseille-Fos, focused on its decarbonization

Despite a complex economic context, the activity of the port of Marseille-Fos was maintained in 2024, allowing it to post an increase in turnover and investments at a new record level of nearly 100 million euros, half of which was devoted to decarbonization.

The port of Marseille-Fos, one of the largest in France, recorded a turnover of 2024 million euros in 224,5, an increase of almost 7% over one year despite a very slight decline in total traffic of goods handled (-2% to 70,5 million tonnes).

"We are on a more or less stable traffic" but "with very contrasting results" depending on the sectors, explained Hervé Martel, chairman of the board of directors of the port of Marseille-Fos, during a press conference.

We recorded "good momentum in general merchandise, relative stability in oil" and energy products, "and a very significant drop in solid bulk goods", particularly in traffic linked to the steel industry", he explained.

Container traffic in particular posted, according to Mr. Martel, a "good score" in 2024, with growth of 9%, "linked roughly half to the increase in transhipment" due to the diversion of maritime routes to the Cape of Good Hope, "and roughly half to the evolution of the flow of imports and exports from Europe" to China (+12%), Algeria (+12%), Turkey (+13%), Reunion (+25%) and Egypt (+25%).

Solid bulk traffic, on the other hand, showed a 26% drop compared to 2023 due to "a very sharp drop in steelmaking activity", he continued, while on the liquid bulk side, the 10% increase in the volume of refined products offset the drop in crude oil imports.

The number of passengers transported fell slightly (-4% to 3,9 million passengers) after recording a historic record in 2023.

After an envelope of 76 million euros in 2023, the port has released 99 million euros of investments in 2024, up 30% over one year, of which almost half (47 million euros) was devoted to projects linked to the ecological transition and decarbonization.

"We have a wall of investment ahead of us," warned Christophe Castaner, chairman of the port's supervisory board, putting forward the figure of one billion euros of investment needed over the next five years for Marseille-Fos to "live up to the expectations" that await it.

It is "colossal and indispensable," he added. "These investments are essential to finance environmental challenges, to support the development of industries that choose to set up here, and to modernize our infrastructure."

Current projects include the construction of photovoltaic panel factories, low-carbon iron production, hydrogen through water electrolysis and offshore wind turbines.