Discover the commitments behind the Canal
Find here the structural commitments of the Société du Canal Seine-Nord Europe and the project partners.
Discover the commitments behind the Canal
Find here the structural commitments of the Société du Canal Seine-Nord Europe and the project partners.
The Seine-Nord Europe Canal Company (SCSNE) has awarded several contracts for the Canal project: environmental works on over one hundred hectares at two sites in the Somme Valley and the creation of six ponds in the Upper Somme; preparatory environmental works in the Nord and Pas-de-Calais departments; the rehabilitation and construction of several quays on the Canal du Nord for supplying the construction sites; and the initial earthworks for the Oisy-le-Verger lock (see site plan of these worksites in the appendix). All of these contracts include a social inclusion clause (CIAE) which commits the companies to employing workers in integration programs.
The compensation program provides for the following in the Santerre Haute-Somme area: development of 420 hectares of environmental facilities distributed from the agricultural plateau of Santerre to the Tortille valley in the north of the department, passing through the Somme valley.
The notified contract comprises two lots of ecological improvements. which will allow the restoration/creation of functional wetlands, providing habitats favorable to the reproduction of wetland species, the renaturalization of banks, the planting of woodlands, and the improvement of the ecological conditions of still waters to promote the maintenance of existing species, in particular by removing invasive exotic species.
For both of these markets, preparation is underway and work is scheduled to begin in December 2025 and continue until March 2026.
The work for this contract will be carried out on:
These ecological development works are awarded to the consortium of companies whose representative is SAS CIME Environnement is based in Millonfosse in the Nord department.
These ecological development works are awarded to the consortium of companies whose representative is Bouygues Travaux Publics Régions France is based in Marcq-en-Barœul in the Nord department.
In the Somme, more specifically In the valley at Veaux in Étricourt-Manancourt, a site will benefit from environmental improvements following: creation of five ponds with a surface area of 100 m²2, plantings of helophytic and grassland vegetation. These developments are fully in line with the Avoid-Reduce-Compensate approach; they are being created in advance of the start of the Canal works.
The project aims to create a network of five ponds, each one meter deep, providing alternative habitats to replace those located along the canal's route. This reduction measure helps create habitats favorable to various species, such as amphibians.
An additional pond will be created in the immediate vicinity of the "grand Marais" site in Moislains.
It is a group of companies all based in the Hauts-de-France region, whose representative is Hydram, located in Rosult in the Nord department., which is carrying out these works. The works will begin this autumn and last for a few months. They will be followed by a 24-month maintenance and management period, before the transfer to a manager.
In Artois-Cambrésis, following initial work in 2024 and 2025 on sites acquired outside the Canal's right-of-way (Oisy-le-Verger, Aubigny-au-Bac, and Bertincourt areas), compensation work will continue upstream of the TOARC project. This includes the Creation of 2 ponds to benefit amphibians, located near the Havrincourt woods, the restoration of existing meadows, Or the establishment of micro-habitats for wildlife (hibernaculum, woodpiles, bat roosts and bird nesting boxes) particularly in the Grand Bois de Ytres, the Bois de la Crête à Renard, in the Sensée Valley. As part of this contract, the company is also tasked with surveying and marking the invasive alien species and to the processing of species present within the technical areas of this market, as well as the implementation of the necessary preventive and protection measures for sensitive areas, protected flora and fauna, upstream of the main works.
Preparatory environmental work in sector 4 (Pas-de-Calais and Nord) are allocated to the group of companies whose representative is SMDA based in Trappes in the Yvelines department, associated with the company CIME Environment from Millonfosse in the North.
For each of the works planned in this contract, a preparation period of 1 month will be required for the companies before starting.
Illustrating SCSNE's commitment to reducing the environmental footprint of the construction site, 9 quays are being built or redeveloped along the existing Canal du Nord, to allow the supply of materials to the construction sites by river, in accordance with the materials supply and excavated material management scheme adopted by the SCSNE Supervisory Board in October 2020.
The rehabilitation of the existing quays of Pont L'Évêque in the Oise, Languevoisin, Rouy-le-Petit and Péronne located in the Somme is attributed to the company Spie Batignolles North based in Calais in the Pas-de-Calais department.
The construction of the new quay in Catigny (Oise) is awarded to the group of companies whose representative is CHARIER Civil Engineering based in Marne-la-Vallée in the Seine-et-Marne department.
For both of these projects, site preparation takes place over 3 months, and work will begin during the 1ster half of 2026 for a period of 7 months.
The Oisy-le-Verger lock, located at the northern entrance to the Seine-Nord Europe Canal, is one of the most imposing on the route with a water drop of 25 meters. As with the 5 other large-capacity locks that will be built, the internal dimensions of the lock chamber are 12,5 meters wide and 195 meters long.
The recently awarded contract concerns the demolition work from the upper part of the excavation (We speak of excavating a lock to refer to its digging.) of this lock.
This contract was awarded to the consortium of companies including Guintoli, based in Saint-Etienne-du-Grès (Bouches-du-Rhône) is agentAfter a 3-month site preparation phase, work will begin in the first half of 2026 and will last 9 months.
Prior to the work on the Allaines lock, work to divert the Allaines-Bouchavesnes-Bergen municipal road is planned: the preparation of the land in the area of the temporary diversion, the earthworks under the road structure of the temporary restoration, the construction of the road and its shoulders, as well as the connections to the existing road network.
The works to develop the temporary bypass of the Allaines-Bouchavesnes (Somme) local road are attributed to the company EUROVIA based in Camon in the Somme.
For this project, site preparation will take place over 4 months, and work will begin during the 1ster half of 2026 for a period of 2 months.
Added December 15, 2025 - Updated December 15, 2025
