Urban Logistic Solutions (ULS) has been selected by Haropa Port in France to undertake projects that promote river transport as an alternative to road haulage and foster last-kilometer decarbonised delivery.
ULS will be setting up a logistics base in Charenton (Val-de-Marne). This will provide service to central Paris via the river and Javel Bas and Gros Caillou ports. Last-kilometer delivery will be made using electric-assist bikes equipped with trailers, which will also cover the Charenton city district directly from the logistics base.
ULS is expecting to achieve breakeven between 2030 and 2032 with this project, working with a number of customers, GEODIS notably among them. This major urban delivery provider is already a ULS customer in Strasbourg and Lyon.
The project proposed by ULS also involves implementing a river/cycle-based urban logistics solution working out of a logistics facility located upstream of Rouen (Seine-Maritime) on land belonging to Haropa Port. Going via the river, this will connect to the quay upstream of Guillaume le Conquérant bridge (the subject of a call for project proposals) in the heart of the city, with last-kilometer delivery by electric-assist bike plus trailer. Back from the quayside, hardstand will be made available to ULS for installation of facilities for personnel and a storage area. Traffic will be developed through partnerships with actors in the distribution, package delivery and e-commerce sectors.
Both projects aim for a single goal: to use river freight transport as a major opportunity for addressing the climate and environmental challenge with an alternative to road haulage.