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, a major regional development project combining technical performance, environmental responsibility, and safety, will connect Compiègne, in the Oise department, to Aubencheul-au-Bac, in the Nord department, by 2032. This large-gauge canal, 107 kilometers long and 54 meters wide, is a key link in the Seine-Scheldt waterway network, which will connect the French network to 20,000 km of European waterways. It will thus enable the development of inland waterway transport, an environmentally friendly solution for freight transport and a driver of competitiveness for local production and attractiveness for the regions. This major project represents an investment of over €7,3 billion, financed by the European Union, France, and the local authorities that manage the Société du Canal Seine-Nord Europe (SCSNE), the public body responsible for project management.
A large-gauge canal, the Seine-Nord Europe Canal will be able to accommodate barges measuring up to 185 meters long and 11,40 meters wide . A small revolution in the sector, as the current Canal du Nord, much narrower, now represents a real bottleneck.
Goods transported between the Paris region, the Hauts-de-France, the ports of Dunkirk, Le Havre, Rouen, and Northern Europe will be able to transit more frequently by waterway, thus relieving the road network, which is congested with trucks. Large-capacity barges can carry up to 4,400 tons of goods each, the equivalent of 220 trucks . Therefore, the passage of a 4,400-ton river convoy every half hour is equivalent to one truck every five seconds.
It is estimated that, a few years after its commissioning, the Seine-Nord Europe Canal will transport approximately 17 million tons of goods per year and reduce road traffic by 1 million heavy goods vehicles in France, and even by 2,3 million across Europe along the Seine-Scheldt waterway. The result is a carbon footprint that demonstrates, over 40 years, a saving of more than 50 million tons of CO2 . This is one way to address the climate and energy challenges of the 21st century.
Open 24 hours a day, 24 days a year, the Seine-Nord Europe Canal can be crossed in 360 to 16 hours on average, compared to around thirty hours by the current river network.
The opening of the Seine-Nord Europe Canal will establish the Seine-Scheldt link as the first European waterway network . Stretching 1,100 kilometers of large-gauge navigable rivers, streams, and canals, the Seine-Scheldt will form a major economic and ecological corridor, connecting the territories between Le Havre, Île-de-France, Hauts-de-France, Dunkirk, and Belgium.
Thanks to Seine-Escaut, the Seine basin will be opened up : large boats will be able to move freely to and from northern France and Europe, allowing us to benefit from all the advantages of the waterway: reduced transport costs and low greenhouse gas emissions through massing on large boats.
The implementation of the Seine-Escaut project is the result of a partnership between France (local authorities and the State), Flanders and Wallonia, with the support of Europe. It represents an investment of around 8 billion euros, which includes the construction of the Seine-Nord Europe Canal (7,3 billion euros), the modernization and improvement of the navigable and environmental performance of rivers (the Seine, the Oise, the Lys, etc.) and canals in France and Belgium.
A technological feat, the Seine-Nord Europe Canal will benefit from state-of-the-art equipment . It will be equipped with six locks – two of which have a drop of over 25 meters – and three canal bridges – including the Somme Canal Bridge, which is over 1,3 km long. Sixty-two road and rail bridges will allow crossings at numerous points along the route, ensuring easy mobility within the region . And a reservoir near Allaines will provide water for the upper reaches of the canal in case of low water levels.
The 4 inland ports of Noyon, Nesle, Péronne and Marquion-Cambrai, developed by the Hauts-de-France Region and the Intercommunalities, will be the gateway to the Canal for companies from a vast surrounding area where they will benefit from port services for bulk or containerized goods.
Finally, two marinas for pleasure craft – accommodating everything from river cruise ships to yachts – are planned in Saint-Christ-Briost and Allaines in the Somme department. The Seine-Nord Europe Canal also offers opportunities for river and local tourism , with the possibility of cruises and exploring the regions it serves.
Environmental protection is at the heart of the project. The canal's permeability process , for example, will combine conventional methods with a natural solution based on reusing silt and chalk already present along part of the route. Ecological banks will be created, as well as wet meadows, ponds, and dry grasslands—all sites conducive to biodiversity . The canal is designed to ensure the continuity of wildlife corridors through the development of gently sloping banks, access points to the banks, and an eco-bridge in an area where the canal is in a significant excavation. Numerous afforestation and reforestation projects began in 2017 and will continue throughout the construction. These ambitious environmental measures will allow for the replanting of nearly three trees for every tree felled.
The financing agreement of November 2019 provides for an investment necessary for the realization of the Seine-Nord Europe Canal amounting to 5,1 billion euros.
This budget is divided between Europe, local authorities and the French State.
It will be financed through a loan, repaid by the proceeds of a national tax with a local base, encouraging modal shift.
The granting of the final environmental permit in August 2024 provided, for the first time since 2019, a comprehensive overview of the route in terms of both technical specifications and permits. Following this approval, the Canal's schedule was revised in 2025, subsequently allowing for a reassessment of the project's cost . As of early 2026, the target cost upon completion of the works is now estimated at €7,3 billion ( more information ).
