Taylor Wessing advised CNR (Compagnie Nationale du Rhône) on the renewal of the sub-concession agreement for the container terminals at the Port of Lyon, awarded to the consortium led by CMA CGM

Taylor Wessing advised CNR (Compagnie Nationale du Rhône) on the renewal of the sub-concession for the container terminals at Port Édouard-Herriot in Lyon.

Following the advertising and competitive bidding process initiated by CNR, the sub-concession was awarded to a consortium comprising CMA Terminal Holding (67%), Caisse des Dépôts (25%), CCI Lyon Métropole Saint-Etienne Roanne (4%) and CCI Aix-Marseille-Provence (4%).

The new 30-year contract came into force on April 1, 2025, marking a new chapter in the logistical development of the Port of Lyon. Located at a strategic crossroads at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône rivers, Port Édouard-Herriot is the only public port in the Rhône Valley with terminals capable of handling both containers and heavy cargo.

This new operation by the consortium led by the CMA CGM Group forms part of a strategy to boost container traffic on the Mediterranean-Rhône-Saône (MeRS) axis, with the aim of reaching 100,000 river containers and 80,000 rail containers per year by 2030.

To achieve this objective, a €40 million investment plan (including €11 million financed by CNR) will be implemented. One of the key steps will be to consolidate all handling operations at the T2 terminal, which will be expanded by the end of 2027.

In addition, further investments will be made throughout the term of the contract, for an estimated total of €22 million.