The Halle à marée de Port en Bessin - Huppain, a facility managed by Ports du Calvados, is currently undergoing major renovation work. Under the supervision of the Caen Normandie Chamber of Commerce and Industry and financed by the Département du Calvados, these works aim to refurbish the roof and launch the Halle à marée into a new energy era, with the installation of solar panels.
Why?
Built in 1973, the tidal hall underwent its first phase of renovation in the 1980s. Over time, and with exposure to salt air, the steel roofing had become badly corroded in places. Extensive diagnostics were therefore carried out to determine the scope of the work. The renovation work is part of a dynamic process of ecological transformation, with the aim of reducing the Tidal Hall's energy consumption.
How?
The work is being carried out in several phases:
- The roof, made of steel troughs and shingles, is currently being dismantled on its northern section, at the level of the 1st module of the Tidal Hall. This area marks the start of the works.
- As work progresses, the scaffolding will be dismantled and then reassembled to allow progress to be made to the south of the building, towards the ice production silos.
- A new frame and roof will be installed (completion by mid-October).
- Installation of solar panels.
When?
Work began in early April and will last until the end of the year.
How much?
The budget for the work is €2,645,000. They are financed by the France Relance plan and the Calvados department.
Roofing - Cladding - Timber frame €1,840,000
Photovoltaics €170,000
Heat recovery and hot water production €140,000
Miscellaneous €245,000
Fees €250,000
Perspectives - The first Halle à marée equipped with solar panels
More than 1,000 m2 of solar panels cover the south-western part of the roof. The Halle à marée at
Port en Bessin - Huppain is the first of its kind in France. The electricity
produced by the photovoltaic panels is fed back into the grid to ensure the
cold production of the tidal hall. In addition, a system for recovering the heat
produced by the cold chambers provides completely autonomous power for the
hot-water washing system for the auction bins required to transport seafood products.
Guillaume POITEVIN, Fishing Manager
"The arrangements we've made with the construction companies working on the site mean that we can keep the Halle à marée in operation without causing any inconvenience to our users. The removal of the roof is going well, as fishing activity is quieter at this time of year. Initial work has been carried out on the awnings. They have been shortened by 80 cm, so that on the dock side, boat landing masts no longer touch the edge of the roof when the tidal range is high. The same applies to the street side, to prevent damage from trucks backing up to the loading docks.
" Initiated by the CCI Caen Normandie, in collaboration with its partner COPEPORT, even before the creation of Ports du Calvados, the new concession holder for the 7 departmental ports, this operation brings the Halle à marée into the 21st century by making this strategic tool, used by several hundred fishermen and fishmongers every year, more thermally efficient and environmentally responsible.
Antoine de GOUVILLE, General Manager of Ports du Calvados and Director of Port Facilities, CCI Caen Normandie
"By investing in Normandy's first fish market, and France's 6th largest in terms of tonnage landed (nearly 9,000 tonnes in 2023), the Calvados department is demonstrating its ambition to place the port economy at the heart of its action, and more particularly to support the fishing industry in a sustainable way. Since the creation of Ports du Calvados in 2023, this is one of the first building blocks in a more comprehensive port development plan that will involve each of the département's seven ports. It embodies our determination to strengthen our region's maritime and coastal identity.
Michel FRICOUT, Vice-Chairman of the Calvados Departmental Council and Chairman of Ports du Calvados
