The automobile in Lorraine: a complete value chain

In Lorraine, the leading French equipment * region, nearly 16,000 employees work at all stages of the automotive value chain, within a dense and structured network of 82 establishments, regional SMEs and subsidiaries of major international groups.

The dynamics
of a Greater Automotive Region

The Lorraine automotive industry has been able to reap the full benefits of the conversion of traditional regional industries: relying on know-how and solid industrial skills, it has managed to make the technological investments necessary to deploy in a complete sector, structured and competitive.

Thanks to its tri-border and central position in the heart of the Greater Region (Luxembourg, Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany, Wallonia in Belgium and Lorraine) and Great East (Alsace, Franche-Comté, Burgundy, Champagne-Ardenne and Lorraine) , Lorraine is today the leading French equipment supplier, ahead of the Rhône-Alpes and Pays de la Loire regions.

A stimulating concentration of clusters

Totaling 120,000 employees  in this great European stimulating area, where more than 1.5 million vehicles leave the assembly plants each year, the companies of the automobile industry, manufacturers and equipment manufacturers, complement and organize themselves within clusters (Automotive Saarland, Automobilzuliefer Initiative, Perfo Est, AKJ Automotive …), competitiveness clusters (Matéralia for innovative materials) and collective operations such as Autoessor.

Aerospace: Lorraine puts on the Aériades cluster

Precision mechanics, metallurgy, foundry, research … The aeronautical industry Lorraine capitalized on high technology and its geographical location to develop the Aériades cluster. This cluster offers a coherent and global industrial offer to major customers in the sector such as Dassault, Airbus, Eurocopter, Zodiac, Safran, EADS, and Thales.

Aériades, a cluster at the crossroads of Europe

The Aériades cluster is located in Lunéville, Meurthe-et-Moselle. It brings together some thirty members, including schools ( Ensam and Supelec in the Moselle, Ecole des Mines in Meurthe-et-Moselle), electronics, composite materials, mechanics, metrology, and control companies. R & D … It represents 2,200 jobs and 300 million turnovers and is part of the GIFAS (Group of French aeronautical and space industries).

Skylander, the cargo plane “made in Lorraine”

Geci International also preferred Lorraine to Portugal to establish its subsidiary Sky Aircraft SAS and joined the cluster with its project ” Skylander “, a cargo plane for cargo, humanitarian and short-haul transport. Geci is based on Chambley Planet’Air in Meurthe-et-Moselle. The first Lorraine aircraft is expected to hit the tarmac in 2011.

Lorraine, the second French region for wind energy

At the end of 2009, of the 4,494 MW of wind power installed in France, 482 MW were in Lorraine, the second largest region after Picardy and in front of the Center and Brittany.

Already 45 wind sites in Lorraine

Although it is not one of the most highly windy areas , in 2003 Lorraine was resolutely given the means to become the leading French region in the field of wind energy. Deploying an ambition and resources up to the challenges of sustainable development, at the end of 2009 it totals almost 11% of the installed capacity in France, with 191 wind turbines spread over 45 sites in Meurthe-et-Moselle, Meuse , Moselle and in the Vosges. (SER-FEE, 30/03/2010)

Wind power installed in France in 2009 is estimated at 1,088 MW. The France is thus in fourth place in Europe behind Italy which installed 1114 MW; Spain and Germany remain at the top of the European market. (EWEA)

The Lorraine companies in the sector are coming together in the  Lorraine Wind Power Pole to offer a global outsourcing offer for the construction of wind turbines in Lorraine: blades, mast, braking, generators … The Lorraine Wind Pole Cluster thus sets the stage for service of any wind project strong skills: lobbying, engineering, project economy, financing, sales, design, manufacturing, implementation, management, maintenance, and upkeep …

The Lorrainers quickly joined the wind projects, since in 2005 a wind farm co-financed by hundreds of private individuals was inaugurated in Lorraine: “Le Haut des Ailes”, 84 million kWh produced and 40,000 people supplied with electricity. A first in France.

An acceleration of Lorraine projects

The Meuse is the French department where the wind penetration rate is by far the largest: already above 100% in 2007, it exceeds 150% in the projections to 2011.

By 2012, 20 wind turbines should turn on the South Toulois park which will extend over 7 municipalities of Meurthe-et-Moselle and Vosges.

A wind farm project is underway in the country of Boulay en Moselle (ZDE decreed in July 2008).

A wind development zone is being studied in the Val de Galilée for a project of 5 wind turbines at the Col du Bonhomme between Vosges and Alsace.

Wind energy, a reliable and increasingly profitable energy

The investment cost recorded in 2008 was between € 1,300 and € 1,600 per installed kW. It includes the cost of studies, materials, connection, installation, start-up and dismantling costs. Operating, maintenance and maintenance costs represent 3% per annum of the total investment cost.

Logistics: an activity at the heart of European flows

With more than 2,000 companies and 60,000 jobs, logistics and transport is a powerful business sector in Lorraine. It now goes beyond the traditional framework of transportation and warehousing to open up to the global management of supplies and expeditions in a sustainable development logic.

Lorraine, a region ideally located

The privileged geographical position of Lorraine, at the crossroads of major European routes east-west and north-south, explains the strong development of an integrated and highly structured transport and logistics sector. The existence of important land reserves near air, rail, road, and river communication equipment ensures the growth of companies in this sector.

At the heart of the European consumer market

The choice of Lorraine is strategic for companies in the logistics sector. They are thus at the heart of one of the largest and richest markets in the world with the 500 million consumers of the European Union. Nearly a quarter of the world’s wealth is concentrated within a radius of 1,000 kilometers around Metz. In addition, companies benefit from a trained and young workforce.

Dense communication infrastructure

Motorways and expressways:
all logistics platforms related to European flows

Paris, Brussels, Stuttgart, Lyon: less than a day’s drive. London, Berlin, Prague, Milan, Marseille, Barcelona: less than 2 days by truck.
A4 (E 50): crosses Lorraine from west to east, connecting Paris to Berlin, Stuttgart or Vienna.
A31 (E 25): crosses Lorraine from north to south without the toll, connecting Antwerp, Rotterdam, Brussels or Luxembourg to Lyon, Marseille, Milan or Barcelona.

Rail: a major sorting center in Europe

Freight: The Woippy marshaling yard, next to Metz (Moselle), is one of the largest in Europe, with 650,000 wagons processed per year.
Travelers: the TGV-East connects Paris to the Gare-Meuse in 55 minutes, to Metz and Nancy in 1h20.

Fluvial: a large-scale network connected to the North Sea

Freight: the large canalized Moselle allows self-propelled 3,000 tons to reach the major North Sea ports without breaking the load: Le Havre, Dunkirk, Rotterdam, Antwerp … from the ports of Thionville, Metz, Frouard, and Neuve-Maisons.
Travelers: river tourism is well developed in Moselle and Meurthe-et-Moselle and allows boaters to stop in the marinas of Metz and Nancy.

Air: 6 airports within a radius of 100 km

Freight: 1.5 million tons of goods take off and land each year at the airports of the Greater Region. The company Cargolux operates from Luxembourg airport a few minutes north of Lorraine. Also available, Paris-Watry airport in Champagne 90 km from Lorraine.

Travelers: in less than 2 hours, Lorrainers can embark on a national, European or international line (regular flight, charter or low-cost) from:

• •  Metz-Nancy-Lorraine regional airport and its concerted development zone (located halfway between the two metropolises Nancy and Metz)
• •  Luxembourg airports, Saarbrücken, Zweibrucken, Paris, Brussels, Frankfurt, Frankfurt-Hahn, Charleroi, Strasbourg, Basel-Mulhouse, Liège, Karlsruhe-Baden-Baden
• •  several business aerodromes.

Lorraine: from basic chemistry to green chemistry

Chemistry, petrochemicals, mineral chemistry, parachemistry … so many areas well represented in Lorraine. And by big industrial groups.

Organic chemistry

Total’s core chemicals business, Total Petrochemicals, manufactures polyethylene, polypropylene, and styrenics. It is located in Carling, not far from Arkema, the leading French chemist and world leader in PMMA. It groups together three areas of activity: vinyl products, industrial chemistry and performance products. Arkema has also established its Eastern Research and Development Center ( CRDE ) in Carling. Its missions are the development of acrylic monomers, the treatment of industrial water and the damage assessment of materials.

Carbone Lorraine’s “Chemical Engineering Equipment” division in Pagny-sur-Moselle is the world’s leading manufacturer of thermal equipment for anti-corrosion in noble materials.

Mineral chemistry

Solvay Carbonate France in Dombasle-sur-Meurthe, the world leader in carbonate and its derivatives, produces 700,000 tonnes of carbonate and 120,000 tonnes of bicarbonate of soda every year. Salins du Midi and Salines de l’Est and Cérébos are very present in the salt industry. Rosières-aux-Salines,Château-Salins … The exploitation of Lorraine’s salt dates back several centuries and its extraction is at the origin of the establishment and development of the chemical industry.

In the Meuse , the chemical industry is mainly oriented towards lime from Dugny-sur-Meuse and Sorcy-Saint-Martin.

Fine chemistry and parachemistry

Fine and specialty chemicals for the pharmaceutical and cosmetic sectors are also present in Lorraine, notably with Cristal Laser, the European leader in the manufacture of synthetic crystals. Arkema also produces ultrafine powders for cosmetics. And in parachemistry, Novasep in Pompey specializes in the creation of molecules and is a partner of major pharmaceutical companies.

Green chemistry, chemistry of the future

La société Ineos à Verdun-Baleycourt (Meuse) produit des biocarburants à partir du colza pour être incorporés au carburant classique et réduire les émissions de gaz à effet de serre. Schweitzer à Ludres fabrique des sacs à déchets en utilisant des matières premières végétales. Novacarb, à Laneuveville-devant-Nancy, s’associe à Poweo pour construire une centrale à biomasse pour la production d’électricité. Et l’entreprise vosgienne Salveco fabrique des produits d’entretien et d’hygiène 100 % bio. Le Pôle de Compétitivité Fibres mène également un projet majeur nommé Ecolicel dont l’objectif est d’organiser une filière de chimie issue du bois.