July 8, 2016

CNES awards €200-million contract for Ariane 6 ELA 4 launch complex to Eclair6

CNES has awarded to Eclair6, the consortium led by Eiffage, formed by Eiffage Civil Engineering (lead contractor), Eiffage Roads, Clemessy (a subsidiary of the Eiffage Group’s Energy branch), SEH (a German subsidiary of Eiffage Metal), Axima (a subsidiary of Engie) and Italian specialist foundation engineering firm ICOP, the contract for the infrastructures of the future ELA 4 Ariane 6 launch complex at the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana, for which CNES has responsibility.

The Ariane 6 programme, approved at the Ministerial Council meeting of the European Space Agency (ESA) on 2 December 2014, aims to reduce the cost of space launch by half compared to Ariane 5 and thus enable Europe to remain number one in the commercial launch services market. Tasked with developing the ground facilities for this programme at the Guiana Space Centre, CNES is in charge of building the new ELA 4 launch complex for Ariane 6. The agency thus issued a European invitation to tender last February for the construction of the ELA 4 infrastructures, for which it has now awarded the contract to the Eclair6 consortium led by Eiffage Civil Engineering.

The scope of the work comprises all ELA 4 structures, including the launch pad and its two flame trenches, the 6,000-tonne, 90-metre-high mobile service gantry and the BAL launcher assembly building. This contract will offer significant employment and integration opportunities for Guianese youngsters and several local subcontractors and suppliers of materials and equipment will be closely involved in construction work, which will be employing 50,000 cubic metres of concrete, 7,000 tonnes of reinforcement, 400,000 cubic metres of earth and 7,500 tonnes of structural steel.

Work under the contract signed today in Paris by CNES President Jean-Yves Le Gall and Eiffage Chairman & CEO Benoît de Ruffray, worth a total of €200 million, will begin immediately. Construction is scheduled for completion in October 2018, with the first Ariane 6 launch slated for late 2020. Initial earthwork for the new Ariane 6 ELA 4 launch complex at the Guiana Space Centre was completed at the end of May, more than a month ahead of schedule, by a consortium led by Eiffage Civil Engineering and Eiffage Roads.

On this occasion, Jean-Yves Le Gall commented: “This signature today is an especially important and tangible step for Ariane 6 with the construction of the new launch complex.” Benoît de Ruffray added: “We are very glad to have been awarded this new, emblematic contract that is the result of the synergy of expertise across the Eiffage Group and its partners, working as a single integrated team to best meet CNES’s expectations.”

About Eiffage
Eiffage is one of Europe's leading construction and concessions companies, with business lines covering construction, real estate, civil engineering, metal, roads, energy and concessions. Thanks to the experience of more than 64,000 employees, Eiffage generated revenues of €13.9 billion in 2015, including 19% outside France. The Eiffage Group has been operating in French Guiana for many years, notably through its Infrastructures branch and its subsidiaries Clemessy and Eiffage Energy French Guiana, which are longstanding partners of the Guiana Space Centre with strong ties to the local economy.

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Contacts
Pascale Bresson    Tel. +33 (0)1 44 76 75 39    pascale.bresson@cnes.fr
Julien Watelet    Tel. +33 (0)1 44 76 78 37    julien.watelet@cnes.fr
Press office    Tel. +33 (0)1 44 76 76 88    cnes-presse@cnes.fr

Eiffage contact
Sophie Mairé    Tel. +33 (0)1 71 59 10 62        sophie.maire@eiffage.com
Corporate Communications

cp131-2016_-_ela4_va.pdf (pdf - 243.05 KB)
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