The Sustainable Mobility Infrastructures for Low Emissions and qualitative Service (SMILES) project has officially started, with the objective of supporting improvements in the transport infrastructure of the French city of Nantes. SMILES is financed by the European Union under the Public Sector Loan Facility, which is part of the Just Transition Mechanism (JTM), with a grant of EUR 30 million. The grant complements a loan of EUR 200 million awarded by the European Investment Bank (EIB), bringing the total budget for the project to EUR 400 million.
- 12 April 2024
Ms Emma Toledano (Director at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy) stated: “This financial support from the European Commission allows to contribute to a greener and more efficient public transport in the Nantes metropolitan area. This will help ensure a fair climate transition for all, while improving people’s quality of life.”
Ms Paloma Aba Garrote (Director of the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency - CINEA) also stated: “I am very pleased to see the second project under the Public Sector Loan Facility starting. SMILES is an excellent example of making the green transition to a climate-neutral economy a reality. With this project, the Public Sector Loan Facility supports the shift towards more sustainable transport modes. I look forward to hearing about the progress over time and the benefits that it will bring to the daily life of citizens of Nantes Métropole.”
The SMILES project supports improvements in the transport infrastructure of Nantes Métropole by:
- upgrading and renovating 3 tram lines
- renewing the tram fleet via the purchase and entry into service of 46 new tram vehicles
- constructing a technical and operational centre as well as multimodal relay/exchange hub (park & ride facility)
- developing 38 km of cycling paths
Once finalised, it will improve the performance and quality of the tram network, develop inter-modality, strengthen the quality and diversity of public transport and encourage soft mobility and behavioural changes. The new infrastructure will improve the efficiency of the transport network and thus bring benefits in terms of time savings, reduced road congestion and improved accessibility in Nantes.
Ms Johanna Rolland Mayor of Nantes and president of Nantes Métropole also affirmed: “Those investments will contribute to strengthen the offer, quality and diversity of public transport provision in the Nantes area contributing to make our public transport more accessible, cheaper and less polluting for the benefit of citizens.”
The project will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions (CO2 is expected to be reduced by 21,000 tonnes annually), create around 100 new jobs, increase cycling from 3% to 12% by 2030 and contribute to the reduction in the share of trips made with cars from 44% in 2015 to 28% in 2030.
The project will also contribute to support behavioural changes towards a more sustainable mobility in the Nantes region, improve accessibility to public transport and develop soft mobility. It is expected to encourage citizens of the Métrople area and its surroundings to change the way they travel in the city using cleaner means of transportation- and to make public transport more accessible to all.
About PSLF
The Public Sector Loan Facility (PSLF) is the third pillar of the Just Transition Mechanism (JTM) – a key tool of the European Green Deal Investment Plan to make sure that no one and no region is left behind in the transition to a climate-neutral economy.
The PSLF combines loans from the European Investment Bank (up to EUR 10 billion) with grants from the European Commission (up to EUR 1.5 billion). The combined support is designed to mobilise additional investments for public sector entities in the regions most affected by the climate transition, as identified in the Territorial Just Transition Plans, to meet their development needs in the transition towards a climate-neutral economy. The blending of the European Investment Bank loan and the Commission grant will facilitate the financing of projects that do not generate sufficient streams of revenues to cover their investment costs.