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construction, river : River access to Port 2000 works: new breakwater connected to the historic harbour
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A breakwater designed to withstand wave action
Since the beginning of 2026, teams working on site have been building the future breakwater that will link the northern breakwater of Port 2000 to the southern breakwater of the historic harbour.
The first phase involved constructing the foundation of the structure. This operation was carried out at sea using a diffuser pontoon supplied by a dredger, enabling the gradual placement of materials required to create the breakwater foundation.
Learn more about the foundation works
In June, the foundation reached the historic harbour breakwater, paving the way for the continuation of construction works from land using rock armour and Accropode™ units, massive concrete armour blocks specifically designed to absorb wave energy and provide long-term protection for maritime structures.
Learn more about the AccropodeTM
Construction of the breakwater up to the high-water level, corresponding to elevation +8.00 CMH, was completed along the entire alignment in July.
Did you know? CMH (Cote Marine du Havre) is the local maritime vertical reference system used for water levels, tide predictions, hydrographic depths and the elevation of port infrastructure.
A complex connection completed this summer
The project teams then carried out one of the most delicate operations of the entire scheme: connecting the new breakwater to the existing structure.
This work required the construction of a dedicated civil engineering junction structure, together with the adaptation of the concrete armour protecting both breakwaters. The tetrapods installed on the historic breakwater, four-legged concrete armour units, were removed or repositioned to interlock with the new Accropode™ units forming the armour layer of the future breakwater.
This phase has now been successfully completed.
A new stage of the project begins
Contractors are now continuing to raise the breakwater to its final elevation of +14.00 CMH.
At the same time, the project is preparing to enter a new phase with the start of dredging operations, scheduled from November 2026.
To carry out these works, the Peter the Great, operated by DEME Group, recently arrived on site. Measuring approximately 60 metres in length and 17 metres in width, this floating platform, known as a dipper pontoon, is held in position by its spud legs. It will excavate material using a grab bucket with a capacity of up to 25 m³.
The excavated material will then be transported by barge to the offshore disposal site off Octeville.
Particularly impressive in size, this dipper pontoon is also highly efficient for this type of operation, where productivity and precision must go hand in hand.
The project, with a total investment of €197 million, is funded by the Normandy Region (€86.05 million), the French State (€3.6 million), the European Union (€24.9 million) through the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), and HAROPA PORT (€82.45 million).