- Le Carnet is a wild area on the banks of the Loire, located between Frossay and Saint-Viaud, west of Nantes.
- The large seaport wants to develop it partially for economic purposes.
- A collective of residents opposed to the project is organizing a demonstration on the site on Saturday and Sunday.
It is an old Loire island, wild although partially backfilled, straddling the towns of Frossay and Saint-Viaud, between Nantes and Saint-Brévin-les-Pins. Difficult to access, the Carnet is nevertheless known to the general public for having been at the heart of a contested nuclear power plant project. Initiated in 1982 by EDF, the project was abandoned in 1997 after an intense struggle by the local population and environmentalists.
Twenty-three years later, a new call for citizen mobilization was launched to “defend the site” against an industrial project. No power plant on the program this time, but the will of the Grand Maritime Port of Nantes-Saint-Nazaire, to develop part of the site to accommodate a logistics base and companies.
A potential of a thousand jobs
The idea, supported by the State and the communities, is, on the one hand, to install an imposing pontoon (130 m long, it belonged to Airbus) allowing the docking of cargo ships. "I have industrialists from the south of the Loire who tell me that they have difficulties in bringing in certain large parts because of the obstacle of the Loire", explains Olivier Trétout, director of the Large maritime port.
On the other hand, it is about facilitating the relocation, over an area of 110 ha, of innovative companies working in the field of “eco-technologies” (renewable energies, soft mobility, etc.). "We are in active discussion with several companies", indicates Olivier Trétout, who ensures that the two activities represent a "potential of a thousand direct jobs". The bill amounts to nine million euros. The work would start in 2021.
"Concrete no longer makes sense today"
“It's going to be a disaster. We will not let this happen ”, immediately warns the Stop Carnet collective. Composed of inhabitants of the area and naturalists, it calls for demonstrations in Le Carnet on Saturday and Sunday. “This site is home to more than 110 protected species, precious wetlands. It is also a migration corridor for birds. Concreting here, even with compensation, goes against ecological issues. It no longer makes sense today ", protests Yoann, member of the collective, which entrusts" to study legal remedies ".
For its part, the port promises a “restoration program” for 225 ha of natural spaces threatened by baccharis, an invasive plant. It also knows it is supported by environmental associations such as the LPO or France Nature Environment. “This project will shed light on the economic world and the ecological transition. The stake is employment. Let's not get the wrong fight ”, proclaims the president of the regional council, Christelle Morancais, who defends the project. She concludes: "Let us not repeat the mistakes of the past", in reference to the abandonment of the Notre-Dame-des-Landes airport.
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A giant wind turbine
Since 2012, part of the Carnet site has hosted a prototype wind turbine. Built by Alstom, it measures 176 m, making it one of the tallest in the world. It should be dismantled soon.
- Harbor
- Nantes