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.
On April 15, 2026, the main contract for the works in Sector 1, in the Oise Valley, was awarded. Known as "TOARC" (Earthworks, Engineering Structures, and Communication Restoration), these works mark the continuation of the major construction projects for the 107 km of the future Seine-Nord Europe Canal. The TOARC contract for Sector 1, corresponding to the 18 km south of the Canal between Compiègne and Passel, was awarded to a consortium comprised of entities from the Spie Batignolles Valérian group, an entity of the Spie Batignolles Travaux Publics group (lead contractor), NGE, and Besix. It involves developing two canal reaches , restoring roads (construction of seven bridges), and restoring waterways crossing the Canal's route. The construction will last 44 months after the preparatory phase. The total amount of this contract is 662 million euros excluding VAT and will mobilize more than 400 people at peak times, resulting in nearly 300,000 hours of integration.
Alongside the construction site of the Montmacq-Cambronne-lès-Ribécourt lock, which began in 2024, the TOARC market for sector 1 includes the main works of the Seine-Nord Europe Canal in the Oise valley between Compiègne and Passel, i.e. precisely 18,6 km.
Earthworks : the earthworks relate to the construction of the two reaches 1 known as Venette and Montmacq, including the digging of the navigation channel by widening the Oise river and the existing lateral canal to the Oise, the development of a new section and including the waterproofing of the structure as well as the development of 12 km of lagoon and wet banks, i.e. on two-thirds of the route.
Engineering structures and restoration of communications : the works consist of restoring five road crossings, through the construction of four bridges on the RD81, RD15, RD40 and RD48, and three bridges on the Thourotte – Montmacq local road to cross the Oise River, the future Seine-Nord Europe Canal and the Oise Lateral Canal. The TOARC project also includes hydraulic structures, such as the Pimprez spillway for managing the water level in the Canal, and several siphons to allow streams to pass under the Canal.
Other improvements
are also planned. To allow for the integration of the Canal, the Oise River will be straightened at Pimprez, and the existing meanders of the Oise at Le Plessis-Brion and Longueil-Annel will be transformed into ecological sites. The consortium will also construct the two outer harbors of the Montmacq-Cambronne-lès-Ribécourt lock (currently under construction as part of a specific contract initiated in 2024), the two boat guide jetties on either side of the lock; it will develop the back quays at Ribécourt and Pimprez, and create a permanent storage facility in Pimprez for surplus materials, which will be made available for agricultural use. Restoring access roads to agricultural plots is also part of the TOARC project. Landscaping and ecological improvements are the subject of three separate contracts.
This award is crucial to the Canal's construction. For the remainder of the route, all consultations are underway to award the five other TOARC contracts for the Seine-Nord Europe Canal, starting in 2027.
Residents near the construction site will be regularly informed by the SCSNE teams at each stage of these projects.
River transport is a major solution for decarbonizing transport , with CO2 emissions three to five times lower than road transport per ton transported. This is the raison d'être of the Seine-Nord Europe Canal and, more broadly, the Seine-Scheldt network. From the construction phase onward, SCSNE incorporated into its works contracts the implementation of modal shift objectives for the supply and removal of construction materials, shifting from road to river and rail. These two modes of high-volume transport are complementary and will significantly reduce the construction site's carbon footprint. Within this contractual framework, the consortium awarded the TOARC contract for sector 1 has committed to implementing a logistics organization to achieve the set objectives. As a result, more than 3,2 million tons of materials will not be transported by road . This represents more than 120,000 trucks avoided on the road, or about 140 trucks per working day during the 44 months of the construction project.
Adopted on October 1, 2020 by its Supervisory Board , the SCSNE Procurement Policy invites bidding companies to become partners in the sustainable transformation of the regions, thereby supporting the objectives of security, employment and regional development, the environment, and innovation. The awarded contract reflects this policy through several key measures, including:
Added on April 21, 2026 - Updated on May 12, 2026
