Port Vauban faces intense ecological and economic pressures. At the foot of the Fort Carré, near the Cap d’Antibes and the Lérins Islands, it is home to protected species and adjacent to sensitive natural areas and Natura 2000 protected areas. It is also a hub for maritime activities (yachting, sailing, water sports, shipyards, fishing, tourism, etc.).
To rise to this dual challenge, Port Vauban is committed to an environmental resource management approach, reflected in a programme of certifications. We have defined the following priorities: quality of port water, biodiversity, waste management, energy performance and consumption management.
Port Vauban relies on the involvement of all stakeholders (yachtsmen, professionals and teams) and a network of partners: Agence de l’eau Rhône Méditerranée Corse, Région Sud, Union des ports de plaisance de Provence Côte d’Azur, Ville d’Antibes, Communauté d’agglomération de Sophia Antipolis, Ecocean, Azur Trend (Ecotank), Pollustock and Ekopol.
Port Vauban has had the European “Ports Propres” (clean harbour) certification since 2014. In November 2021, it also received the “Ports Propres Actifs en Biodiversité” (clean harbour fostering biodiversity) certification.
Port Vauban places tackling polluting activities at the heart of its environmental approach with specialised facilities for waste treatment (domestic and related waste, waste linked to yachting and sailing activities) and ship wastewater management (via pumping systems).
We have gradually set up a number of selective collection services for waste recovery and disposal: materials, equipment, oils and liquids, paints, etc. Port Vauban records a waste recycling/recovery rate of nearly 80% each year. The port also organises seabed cleaning sessions each year, which help collect several tonnes of submerged waste annually. The quality of the port water is monitored annually via sampling campaigns in six sites spread across the harbour, measuring the main physicochemical parameters of the water.
Finally, thanks to our partnership with Azur Trend and the Emergen’Sea initiative, Port Vauban benefits from 24/7 on-call assistance in case of severe pollution, in addition to our own methods of intervention for accidental pollution.
Shallow coastal waters are vital for all marine life. They are home to a diverse range of fauna and flora. Yet these fragile habitats are threatened by port activity and the growing urbanisation of the coastline. Aware of its responsibility as an operator, Port Vauban has introduced a number of actions to protect and preserve biodiversity. We have introduced a series of projects:
Cystore (2015-2018), a pilot project carried out with the support of the Agence de l’Eau Rhône Méditerranée Corse, involved reintroducing strains of the Cystoseira genus of algae to the riprap on Port Vauban’s main seawall.
Another project aimed at ecological restoration was carried out at the same time with Ecocean, with the support of the Agence de l’eau Rhône Méditerranée Corse and the Région Sud. It involved setting up Biohut® nurseries in several areas of the port (harbour master’s office and floating pontoons). The aim of these artificial habitats is to help develop and innovate solutions to restore the marine environment. Today, the port has 56 Biohut® artificial nurseries, mainly in the outer harbour and in front of the harbour master’s office, in which larvae and small fish find food and shelter. Ecocean’s ecological monitoring of the sites has seen more than 60 different species of marine plants and animals in our Biohut® nurseries.
Some of our actions focus on land biodiversity, the revegetation of central reservations, preservation of local species and removal of invasive species.
Port Vauban has set ambitious sustainable mobility targets. We have gradually replaced fossil fuel-powered vehicles with a fleet of electric golf carts, vans and scooters. Port Vauban also has a fleet of 8 electric bikes for our staff and a fleet of 20 electric bikes for our clients to hire free of charge.
As part of our architectural project, we are redesigning the entire atmospheric, plant and landscape environment: landscaped promenades, parking footprint, revegetation.
Le succès de notre démarche environnementale
dépend de l’implication de chacun : en utilisant
les services et équipements mis à votre disposition
et en respectant les règles et les interdictions définies,
vous pouvez contribuer à améliorer grandement l’état
et la qualité de l’environnement sur notre port.
Merci pour votre contribution, à terre comme sur l’eau !
Port Vauban has 4 DPOL robots for the collection of floating waste at strategic locations in the port.
The Promenade of the Sea linking the old town to the harbour office has been designed to showcase the richness and beauty of the local biodiversity.
Step by step, boaters and passers-by are invited to meet the 10 main species that inhabit the waters of the port thanks to the creations of the artist Pascal Papalia placed along the quay. QR codes installed along the promenade tell the curious all the secrets of these species.
Port Vauban is involved with the TchaoMegot company, which collects and transforms the toxic and polluting matter of cigarette butts into insulation for the building industry or textiles.
This is an effective way of contributing to the preservation of the environment by acting for the depollution and 100% ecological recycling of a toxic waste.
You can already find eight ashtrays ready for use in the different areas of the port. (map opposite)
Nothing is lost, everything is transformed!