Seine-Nord Europe canal project aims to boost trade, cut CO2 emissions

Work has commenced on the French Seine-Nord Europe Canal (SNEC), a new significant European trade route. The investment, costing €5.1 billion (nearly $5.7 billion), aims to enhance trade between France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. It also aligns with the European Union's climate goals, as water transport emits five times less CO2 than land transport per ton of goods transported.

Upon completion in 2030, the enormous 66-mile infrastructure project will increase the capacity for the region's cheaper, faster, and less polluting river trade. The 177-foot-wide SNEC will replace the Canal du Nord, which has a smaller capacity and does not allow the passage of the largest watercraft. The SNEC will be funded by the French government, local authorities that will benefit economically from the canal's construction, and the European Union.

Analysts have calculated that the new water route could remove up to one million trucks from French roads annually. Nicolas Ledoux, the CEO of Arcadis France, the company overseeing the project, stated: "The Seine-Nord Europe Canal will not only enable a modal shift from the roadway to the river but will also create added economic, logistical, agricultural, and climatic value for the territories it crosses through."

The project is to be carried out with respect for the natural environment. Ecological corridors will be built to allow the free movement of all animal species. Ecological plantations will be planted around the canal. Ledoux summarized: "We are very proud to help promote river transport, a high-performing, environmentally friendly, and economical mode of transport that responds to the challenge of energy transition."

The project also has fierce opponents. Protests are being carried out by students at Compiègne Polytechnic, where construction on the massive project has begun. They believe that destroying natural habitats through which the SNEC will pass is not worth the touted benefits. They are convinced that not road transport but rail transport, which is even less emissive than river transport though more expensive, will be redirected to the canal waters. Protesters are also concerned about the impact of disrupting natural water paths and collecting water in a large canal, which could exacerbate droughts already affecting practically all European countries, including France.