La Ciotat Shipyards’ new platform aims for highest environmental and sustainability standards

On 16th December 2019, La Ciotat Shipyards (LCS) presented the environmental features of their upcoming 4,300t platform dedicated to superyachts.

CEO of LCS, Jean-Yves Saussol, states: “Having public shareholders and being active in the yachting industry where environmental concerns are on the rise, we have always been committed to delivering a project which could be a model in terms of sustainability. We are more than happy to have met this challenge and demonstrated in practice that it is possible to reconcile profitability and the creation of hundreds of jobs for the local community with delivering a positive impact on the environment.”

Far from having a defensive stance consisting of mitigating the adverse effects of the project on the environment, the 4,300t shiplift will have a net positive impact on the natural setting and the biodiversity of the Golfe d’Amour and the nearby Calanques’ National Park. This will be achieved by the rehabilitation of the former industrial brownfield sites left behind from the closure of redundant shipyards.

Key measures will include the clean-up of polluted sediment deposited in the harbour by previous shipyards, the reuse on site of 98% of the soil excavated so as to minimise the movement of heavy vehicles, and special measures to protect and encourage the flourishing of local wildlife both ashore and in the bay.