Investment policy –2009 report

An important year for rail transport

The reorganization of the Market’s rail terminal ended in 2009, the first platform on 14 April and the second on 4 August to be precise. The project was completed within budget (19 million euros, co-financed by the Ile-de-France region, the General Council of the Val de Marne department, SNCF and SEMMARIS).

This project was undertaken in the context of a strategy to secure the Market’s supply chain, by adding an alternative means of transport to road and air transport. As a result, nearly 25% of the MIN’s total deliveries in fruit and vegetables were unloaded there last year, as this new tool doubles our capacity over the medium term to 400,000 tons. With its two platforms, each 370 metres long and 10 metres wide, which can take a full train load, the rail terminal is also more efficient, since the transhipment time has been reduced to 30 minutes per train (for faster selling), compared to 2 ½ hours previously because the smaller platforms made it necessary to fragment the unloading. Furthermore, refrigerated units installed directly on the platforms permit instant storage of products, if need be. This is a flexible solution, because the two operators can choose to install other units as required, an option that also applies to the dock levellers, built separately from the concrete structure, or even to the offices.

Unique in Europe (the only controlled temperature freight rail line) and wholly responsible in environmental terms, this structural functionality of the Market will also allow us to seize other opportunities, liked mixed transport or hi-speed freight.

Building starts on the poultry pavilion

The V2P building works, preparing the transfer of the poultry sector, were launched at the beginning of September 2009. The first task was to strip down the existing structures. 18 million euros were allocated to this project, which will be done alongside works on the surround road system and various networks, such as rainwater and wastewater, docks and electricity, etc. The main building work began at the end of 2009 and should end by November 2010 so that the pavilion can open its doors in 2011, once its occupants have finished the fixtures and fittings.

This project’s first objective is obviously food safety and compliance with European regulations, which includes, among others, cold chain safety (a more air-tight building in particular) and easier-to-clean surfaces. Another objective is to improve the site’s commercial attraction, by have first class displays for goods, with good lighting, a sober, elegant interior design, better reception and greater comfort for buyers. In this respect, the offices of the SEMMARIS sector dealing with meat products will be moving to premises in the midst of the activity, in contact with the users. Lastly, the third objective of these works is to optimize productivity, by organizing the space better, improving the smooth flow of logistics operations (installation of 34 dock levellers, storage rooms behind stalls, etc.) and to optimize handling and cleaning tasks. Finally, please note the addition of another hundred parking spaces for buyers’ vehicles.

Toll booth repairs and new warehouses

The importance of these two investments (rail terminal and V2P) should not overshadow the efforts SEMMARIS has made, year after year, to improve the Market's competitiveness and its services to buyers. For instance, all MIN tool booths will be fully renovated. The first of them, the E1 toll booth, known as the "Chevilly-Larue gate", is the Market's largest entrance since it serves users coming from Paris on the A6 motorway, and a budget of 900,000 euros has been allocated for this work. The programme includes changing the roof, improving the signposting, lane alterations with the creation of a lane specially designed for motorcycles and another dedicated to buses and special convoys. At the E2 toll booth, known as the "Thiais gate", SEMMARIS has also carried out works on the layout and installed utilities to create a new car wash for heavy goods vehicles. As the Market's third car wash station, it meets the increasingly tough standards in this field (particularly for lorry interiors if they have transported products of animal origin) with a system to recycle the water used for washing, which is now recycled for the first rinses, before being discharged according to the latest wastewater standards (the final rinse is always done with clean water). SEMMARIS also invested 2.5 million euros in the I9 warehouse to make the floor space of 2,500 square metres accessible from both sides, by taking over some land used by the SNCF. The objective is to provide a refrigerated warehouse to a unique client specialized in exotic fruit. Some preparatory works have also been launched to allow the arrival of the new tramway line, prolonging the extension of line 7 of the underground system, by moving the small EE1 toll booth. 2010 will also have its share of projects. In addition to continuing the works on V2P, some projects are scheduled in the Delta zone, for instance, to put up another controlled temperature warehouse there.