Seine–Nord Europe Canal

Seine – Nord Europe Canal
Location of the Seine-Nord Europe Canal in northern France.
Specifications
Length	105 km (65 mi)
Lock length	195 m (640 ft)
Lock width	12.5 m (41 ft)
Maximum boat length	185 m (607 ft) (x2 push-tug)
Maximum boat beam	11.4 m (37 ft)
Minimum boat draft	3 m (9.8 ft)
Original number of locks	7
Total rise	139 m (456 ft)
Status	Preparation for tender
History
Expected completion	2025
Geography
Start point	Oise River at Janville, Oise
End point	Canal Dunkerque-Escaut, east of Arleux

The Seine–Nord Europe Canal is a project of a high capacity canal in France that would link the Oise River at Janville, Oise, and the Canal Dunkerque-Escaut, east of Arleux. The net effect would be to considerably expand trade flows in a fuel-efficient and ecologically friendly manner while connecting to surrounding northern European countries such as Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.

The canal will be the French section of the Seine-Escaut (Scheldt) European link. It will run 106 km from Janville, north of Compiègne, to the Canal Dunkerque-Escaut, crossing the regions of Picardy and Nord-Pas-de-Calais.

The 105-kilometre-long canal will connect the Seine and Scheldt rivers and facilitate the transport of goods through inland waterways. When the new Seine Nord connection is ready, it will allow large vessels to transport goods between the Seine river (and the Paris area) and the ports of Dunkerque, Antwerp, and Rotterdam, or further into Europe. The canal will replace the Canal de Saint-Quentin and the current Canal du Nord, increasing maximum barge capacity from 650 to 4400 tonnes.

The canal will include several large structures, including seven locks and three aqueducts: two over the A29 and A26 autoroutes, and one 1330 metres long over the Somme. The project’s budget will be €4.2 billion, financed by the European Union, the French government, local regional governments and through public-private partnerships.