French rail provider STVA has entered into a joint venture with freight manager Geodis Wilson for the provision of finished vehicle rail wagons and compound management for Renault when its €600m greenfield plant in Tangier, North Africa goes into production in January 2012.
The plant is based in the Melloussa Free Zone, a dedicated automotive park, which is generating investment worth $1.8 billion, including logistics provision.
Renault will be exporting 95% of the vehicles produced at the plant, which is situated 35km from the port, and has a long-term full production capacity of 400,000 vehicles per year built on the B0 (Logan) platform.
Consequently the high incidence of daily loading and unloading will put substantial demands on the wagons used and STVA has designed and engineered them specifically to accommodate this according to the company.
STVA is also leasing and managing a compound at the port for temporary storage of the vehicles prior to ocean shipment. The storage facility is designed to protect the vehicles from sand and hail damage.
“The premises are on Tangier Med exclusively to handle the Renault vehicles,” said STVA’s deputy managing director, Alain Leray. “We won that tender because of our competitive price offer but also because our operations people were well in advance of the request of quotation and able to provide an operational solution.”
STVA is working with Geodis Wilson because of their established activity in Morocco.
“They helped us a lot,” said Leray. “We are providing the wagons and expertise on how to design, build and operate them. Geodis will provide the expertise in local hiring of the personnel, HR management and contacts with the local authorities.
Michel Faivre-Duboz, who was appointed general manager of Renault in Morocco at the beginning of September, will be in charge of Renault operations at the new plant as well as the SOMACA manufacturing facility.
