Etang de Berre

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The location of the Étang de Berre

The Étang de Berre is a sea ​​bay in Provence in southern France that contains a saltwater moor.

It is located on the coastal region of Côte Bleue , northwest of Marseille and east of the Rhone Valley and is connected to the Gulf of Fos by the narrow Canal de Caronte . So it meets the criteria for a lagoon . With its extension of 155.3 km², it is also the largest inland lake in France. Today it is also accessible to large ships from the Mediterranean via the Canal de Caronte , which is crossed by a motorway bridge .

Port Istres on the Étang de Berre

As a result, its port area, together with the oil port on the Gulf of Fos and an outer port in the delta of the Rhône, belong to the port complex of Marseille , which is considered the second most important seaport in Europe after that of Rotterdam . The Chaîne de l'Estaque mountain range, made of limestone, forms a natural barrier to the sea. The Étang de Berre is used for sea ​​salt extraction and mussel farming. In its vicinity there are oil refineries and a hydroelectric power station , which leads to environmental problems.

Nearby are the port city of Martigues , which is also known as “little Venice ” because of the canals that run through it, and the Marseille Provence airport, which is important for the south of France because of its central location . Above the valley lies the small town of Miramas , whose origins date back to the 5th century and which was first mentioned as a village in 964. The historic town center still has medieval fortifications and a castle. The still young wine-growing region of Côteaux d'Aix extends as far as the Étang de Berre . The small river Arc flows into the Étang de Berre .

A second (artificial) connection with the Mediterranean has existed since 1926. The Canal de Marseille au Rhône connected the Étang de Berre through the Tunnel du Rove (under the Estaque mountains) with the port of Marseille . However, since part of the Tunnel du Rove collapsed in 1963, the canal has no longer been navigable.

Economy of the Étang de Berre region

With the establishment of the secondary ports of Berre in 1919 by the Chamber of Commerce, the construction of the Lavera oil port at the entrance to the “Étang de Berre” and the Fos port and industrial project, which was finally decided in the late 1960s and carried out in the 1970s first changes in the economic structure around the Étang de Berre. Up until that time, agriculture was mostly used around the lake. Due to the expansion of the city of Marseille and its industry in the direction of the Étang de Berre, the metal industry and later also the petrochemical industry and aerospace technology companies settled here. Much of the economic dynamism is now in the areas west of Marseille, i.e. in the Étang de Berre region. Be it the choice of place of residence, the localization of industrial jobs or service companies. With this dynamic, there was also an enormous growth in many communities around the lake, some of which are still expanding today.

Petrochemicals

Between 1920 and 1950, crude oil and its further processing gave the impetus for the establishment of the maritime infrastructure of Berre and Martigues . Fos was only able to establish itself as a location for oil processing a generation later (in the 1970s). Due to the fact that several refineries have been built along the Étang de Berre over the years, numerous companies from the petrochemical industry have also settled there. Due to the continuously increasing demand for oil, the refineries were fully utilized and as early as 1976 around 126 million tons of crude oil had to be imported. The increased demand also resulted in a relocation of many refineries. Initially, the refineries were on the coasts due to their proximity to the crude oil ports. However, newer refineries were built near the hypermarkets, i.e. in the regions of Lyon and Paris.

However, some of the twelve refineries in France are still located in locations around the Étang de Berre: Shell Pétrochimie Mediterranée in Berre L'Étang has a size of around 1000 hectares, including the company's own port area. Around 4 million tons of oil are processed there every year. In Lavéra there is an INEOS refinery, which has been part of BP since 2005. In Fos, the company EXXON Mobil owns a refinery that has an annual production capacity of 5.5 million tons. Three of the five largest companies in the world (in terms of annual turnover and annual profit) have locations at the Étang de Berre. The company Total Fina Elf also operates a refinery in La Méde .

Gas and oil are transported to Paris, Lyon and Germany via pipelines, including the Southern European Pipeline . There are also chemical and plastics industries around the lake for processing the oil. One of the largest gas refineries in France is also located in Fos.

Aerospace Engineering

The Étang de Berre region can undoubtedly be described as an important location for the aerospace industry. On the one hand, there are two airports in close proximity to the lake. On the other hand, there are numerous companies in this industrial sector there.

Eurocopter , the world's leading manufacturer of civil and military helicopters, has a location in Marignane, close to Marseille Airport . In 2003 a simulation center was opened in Marignane on behalf of Eurocopter. This is called Helisim . Close to the city of Istres, on the west side of the Étang de Berre, there is another airport called Istres - Le Tube . This airport is a military airfield. Its unique selling point is its long runway, which is the longest in Europe with a length of 5 km and a width of 60 m and for this reason was also one of the landing airports for NASA's space shuttle . There are development and test centers for several well-known aerospace companies on the airport grounds. Mention should be made of Dassault Aviation , who work with EADS in the military sector. The Snecma SA to check out aircraft engines forth for civil and military aircraft. The last to be mentioned is the Thales Group , which is also active in the field of civil and military aircraft production.

Hydropower plants

The Électricité de France (EDF) carried out a large-scale project to regulate the level of the Durance river , but primarily to generate electricity, which included dams, canals and hydroelectric power stations along the Durance and Verdon rivers. The canal that is important for the Étang de Berre is the one that begins at Jouques after the confluence of the Durance and Verdon rivers and flows into the lake. The project was created due to France's high energy demand in the course of industrial expansion. In 1950 the level of self-sufficiency was still 67.5%. As early as 1977, however, the percentage was only 21.7%. For this reason, EDF has built numerous hydropower plants across France. The two hydropower plants in Salon and Saint-Chamas , which are closest to the Étang de Berre, not only serve the regional supply, but also the security of the entire electricity network, as an immediately available peak capacity can be made available if necessary in order to counter incidents can.

Since the Étang de Berre was connected to the Mediterranean by the Caronte Canal, which was dug in 1863 and deepened in 1925, this former freshwater lake has been transformed into a brackish lake and, according to the European Economic Community, is a saltwater moor. Against this background, the canal and the operation of the hydropower plant in Saint-Chamas are creating some ecological problems for the lake.

Ecological problems

In the Étang de Berre, industrial wastewater flowed and continues to flow from the surrounding industrial plants. However, the Saint-Chamas hydroelectric power station, which is located just in front of the lake and is powered by water from the Durance Canal, has the greatest impact on the ecology of the lake. This power plant contributes to the pollution of the brackish lake due to several points. Therefore the Commission of the European Communities sued the French Republic before the European Court of Justice (ECJ) for breach of contract in the "Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean from Pollution" on the basis of the violation of the following two clauses:

  • Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean from Pollution - Article 4, paragraphs 1 and 8 (Barcelona Convention of February 16, 1976)
  • Protocol on the Protection of the Mediterranean against Land Pollution - Article 6, paragraphs 1 and 3 (Athens Protocol of May 17, 1980)

Pollution is the main point in both clauses. This term is defined as follows:

"The direct or indirect supply of substances or energy by humans into the marine environment, from which detrimental effects such as damage to living treasures, endangerment of human health, obstruction of activities at sea including fishing, impairment of the utility value of Sea water and a reduction in environmental comfort. "

The hydropower plant discharges fresh water (3.09 billion m³ between 1966 and 2000) into the lake with added substances that directly or indirectly impair the oxygen content of the marine environment in the lake, especially those that result in eutrophication of the Ètang de Berre. However, substances are also introduced which, even if they are not toxic, can be dangerous for the marine environment because of the amount in which they are introduced. Since the EDF-operated canal and the hydroelectric power station led to the discharge of sludge and sediments into the marine environment of the lake and, via the Caronte Canal, also to the Mediterranean with the aforementioned pollution consequences, the French Republic was charged with the breach of contract.

For the lake, the quantities of fresh water, sludge (50–80% of the total inflow) and sediments discharged by the hydropower plant mean that the salt content drops, so it comes to desalination and thus also to the formation of layers of the water. An excessive supply of nutrients and the associated eutrophication can also be proven to have negative consequences for flora and fauna. Eutrophication leads to excessive plant reproduction and consequently to an increase in organic mass and thus to a lack of oxygen, which is responsible for the increased mortality of some fish species. The large amounts of mud and sediment cloud the lake's water and reduce light penetration, which limits aquatic plant growth. Deposited sludge also affects the deep fauna. Some studies and investigations have shown that the hydropower plant operated by EDF is primarily responsible for the pollution of the lake. The EDF argued that the full capacity operation of the power plant, which of course also results in the maximum amounts of fresh water and sludge supplied, was necessary for reasons of maintaining the power grid. This counter-argument by the EDF was annulled during the course of the negotiation because the EDF failed to press ahead with the construction of a 400,000 volt discharge line, which would have significantly reduced the discharge of fresh water, sludge and sediments. Accordingly, the French Republic was convicted on 7 October 2004 for failing to adopt appropriate measures to prevent, reduce and combat the massive and ongoing pollution of the Étang de Berre (ECJ, case C-239/03).

wine growing

Viticulture plays an important role in Provence. The climate with almost 3000 hours of sunshine per year and low annual rainfall, which fall mainly in spring and autumn, favors viticulture. The Côteaux d'Aix en Provence wine-growing region, named after the city of Aix-en-Provence, surrounds the entire lake. Locations for viticulture are the six of the 49 authorized municipalities of Carry le Rouet, Gignac, Martigues, Miramas, Saint-Chamas and Berre L'Étang. Above all, rosé (52%) and red wines (42%) are expanded. The rest is covered by white wine.

Cities of cultural importance

Istres

The Oppidum du Castellan (8th century) already indicates the long history of the place. In the Musée du Vieil Istres numerous finds from prehistoric and ancient times are shown. The old town of Istres, which is oval and was originally surrounded by a city wall, has a Provencal character. The important role that Istres may have played in the past can be seen in its high-quality architecture (17th and 18th centuries). The development of the new Istra is connected with the described flight and flight test center.

Martigues

The city of Martigues is initially known for its gardens. The city has a connection to the sea through the Caronte Canal. Due to the many canals, small islands and many bridges, Martigues is also known as the "Venice of Provence". In the quarter des pêcheurs , which stretches along the St. Sébastien Canal, there are still colorfully painted old fishermen's houses from the 17th century, which have inspired painters such as Dufy and Ziem. In addition to the few remaining professional fishermen, there are mainly recreational captains, amateur athletes and hobby anglers at the port today. A few kilometers from the city are the picturesque Port de Carro and the beautiful fine sandy beaches of the Côte Bleue.

salon

The city of Salon, one of the oldest cities in Provence and at the same time the old trading center of Basse-Provence, is characterized by its old town. The city itself developed around the imposing Château de l'Empéri, which was built slightly elevated on a hill and was formerly the residence of the Archbishop of Arles. In the Musée de l'Emperi there are numerous military exhibits from the 17th century to 1918. In addition to the archbishop, Nostradamus also lived in Salon. Today the city is also known for its aviation school and the Patrouille de France, an aviator show unit, which is based here.

Olive oil and soap were made here very early on. Many people are still familiar with the term “Savon de Marseilles” today. Numerous cultural and traditional events take place here every summer.

Web links

Commons : Étang de Berre  - collection of images, videos and audio files

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ europa.eu: Summary of a judgment ( Memento of March 12, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) of the European Court of Justice (2004) on the environmental pollution of the salt moor - the full wording

Coordinates: 43 ° 26 ′ 45 ″  N , 5 ° 6 ′ 50 ″  E