Monaco’s Forum achieves extra energy savings

Photo: Emeric-topmarquesmonaco
Photo: Emeric-topmarquesmonaco

The Grimaldi Forum has further reduced its impact on the environment. Since the award of its ISO 14001 certification in October 2008, the Forum has concentrated its efforts on sustainable water management, energy control, the sorting and recycling of waste, an eco-responsible purchasing policy, good risk management and active communication.

For 2016, on the water resource side, the consumption curve marked a new figure, passing for the first time under 8,000 m3 annually, or 13 percent less than in 2015. The maintenance of equipment is speedier, allowing faster intervention in the event of leaks. These gains have been added to by a proactive investment policy and other innovations.

In terms of energy efficiency, 2016 will remain the year of the best-ever ratio between gross electricity consumption and building occupancy. This result offsets a slightly upward consumption of three percent linked to the increase in activity.

The building is equipped with 20,000 data recovery points and is managed via centralised technical management, allowing an optimisation of energy consumption. The conversion to LED lighting continues, mainly with the re-equipment of the Ravel exhibition space, while improving the quality of the lighting and replacing the 834 classic lamps with 354 LED lamps. With a lifetime multiplied by 10, this has resulted in a reduction in power of 31 percent.

An energy performance contract was signed with SOGET, a maintenance provider of on-site hot-cold production equipment, which enabled the Forum to invest in the commissioning of a latest generation unit. Ultimately, this state-of-the-art equipment should reduce overall electricity consumption by eight to 10 percent, a saving close to one million Kwh.

The target of reducing the consumption of paper was once again achieved. With a drop of 2.7 percent, a result of the introduction of new procedures for paperless work in the administrative and accounting fields and also in the management and monitoring of event files.

Lastly, the sorting rate, which has been in decline since 2015 with the completion of the building restoration work, has again progressed towards the goal of 50 percent waste sorted and upgraded by 2018. The installation of a new brown cardboard compactor, made available last summer by the Monegasque Society of Sanitation, has given complete satisfaction.

The selective sorting of waste, which this year constitutes the new priority area of the ISO 14001 certification of the Grimaldi Forum, will be the subject of a new awareness campaign both internally and externally with exchanges of good practices with tourism partners.

The year 2016 resulted in concrete and very satisfactory environmental results. However, efforts must be ongoing and sustained in order to move towards continuous improvement. 2017 promises to be exciting, with many projects under consideration and actions being implemented, the Forum said.

 

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18 new destinations from Nice Airport

Nice-Côte d'Azur Airport Photo: Mike Meade
Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport. Photo: Mike Meade

Both Ryanair and British Airways have added London Stansted as a destination from Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport from March 26. The route is already served by easyJet. Seventeen other routes have been added for the summer from Nice, for a total of 111 destinations now served by France’s second busiest airport, after Paris.

Included in the new season, Bergamo, Milan, will be served by APG Airlines, Cluj in Romania by Blue Air, and Faro, Portugal, by easyJet. Mistral Air will fly to Florence, while Air France will serve Athens. BA has added Manchester to its schedule, Wizzair will fly to Warsaw, and Vienna will be served by Eurowings. Stavenger (SAS) and Zurich (easyJet) are also new arrivals this summer.

A major rebuilding effort, already partially completed at Nice Airport, will result in shorter waiting times at security, and better serve the needs of travellers, according to local reports. However, the current air traffic control strike and the disruption to flights due to industrial action by Air France and some BA cabin crews have resulted in several cancellations and delays. During Monday, March 6, most cancelled departures were domestic flights, although the ATC dispute also involved serious delays to incoming flights form the rest of Europe.

 

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Monaco signs deal to reopen A8 exit at Beausoleil, talks cable car with French neighbours

Serge Telle, Minister of State, and Georges-François Leclerc, prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes. Photo Manuel Vitali / Communications Department
Serge Telle, Minister of State, and Georges-François Leclerc, prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes. Photo Manuel Vitali / Communications Department

The Franco-Monegasque cross-border commission met on Friday, March 3, at the Palais de la Préfecture in Nice. Established in 2005, this committee is regularly held alternately in Nice or Monaco and its aim is to deal with practical neighbourhood issues.

The Commission noted the improvement of transport to the Principality. One example was the signing of the financial commitment to reopen an exit ramp from the A8 motorway in Beausoleil. Other road access was also discussed.

Concerning rail transport, a point was made on the projects in progress that will improve the TER service to Monaco, such as the extension of the platforms at Nice-Riquier station to allow the circulation of larger capacity trains.

In addition, the Commission referred to the challenges of development and the environment in Monaco and in the neighbouring French communes. The Principality informed the French delegation of progress regarding the project to extend the Anse du Portier into the sea and the Monegasque cable car project between Jardin Exotique and Fontvieille.

The future of the La Cruella quarry site in La Turbie, the concession of which will expire in 2024, waste treatment from the Principality and bordering French communes, and other projects were also discussed.

The Commission also made a preliminary assessment of the implementation of the Franco-Monegasque agreement on teleworking, which now involves some160 French employees in the Principality, and is likely to be extended, creating jobs and improving quality of life. The question of funding for housing in France for French employees in the Principality was also raised.

The work of the local cross-border Commission made it possible to address several issues in the spirit of friendship and cooperation prevailing in Franco-Monegasque relations.

The Franco-Monegasque Cooperation Committee will meet in Monaco on April 11.

 

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Star-studded Carabinieri concert coming up

A star-studded international line-up will support the Prince’s Carabinieri at their Bicentennial Concert, which will take place 8 pm at Rainier III Auditorium on Friday, March 10.

The concert features an exceptional eclectic programme, with the participation of Dee Dee Bridgewater, Biréli Lagrène, Camille and Julie Berthollet, Thomas Vaccari (The Voice 2) and Nicolas Krauze, who will be accompanied by a string ensemble of The Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, added to the Prince’s Carabinieri Orchestra as a Big Band Jazz band.

Presenter Stéphane Bern will talk with the various artists at the end of their performance.

The concert sold out – 1,000 seats – within nine days. However, the evening will be entirely broadcast live on Monaco Info and Monaco Channel.

Major events mark this anniversary year: the official command of the Chief of the Carabinieri Corps, the Commander Convertini, the day of San Sebastian, Patron Saint of the Carabinieri; Bicentennial concert; Participation in the Edinburgh Tattoo, the military music festival on August 4; and Concert under the Pines, September 27, among other events.

For the record, the Corps has 120 Carabinieri, including 24 musicians.

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Multiple strikes hit air travel

Photo: Jason Tester Guerrilla Futures
Photo: Jason Tester Guerrilla Futures

Strikes will hit European air travellers hard from Monday, as French air traffic controllers start their first grève of the year.

British Airways has cancelled at least 40 flights on Monday, plus a further six departures because of a week-long stoppage by some cabin crew.

The ATC strike starts from Monday and is due to end on Friday, March 10, at Brest and Bordeaux, while controllers at the south of France centre in Aix-en-Provence will stop work between Tuesday and Thursday.

The French Civil Aviation Authority, the DGAC, has asked airlines to reduce their flight schedule in west and southwest France. BA has said it will attempt to reduce the strike’s impact by using larger aircraft, where possible, to help cope with cancellations.

Air France appears to be the hardest hit, mainly on domestic flights to and from Paris Orly. Cancellations include 20 flights to and from Toulouse, 12 serving Brest and 10 to and from Bordeaux. The airline has also been hit by a strike by two cabin staff unions, with industrial action due to start from Tuesday.

The UK’s biggest budget airline, easyJet, says it expects to cancel between 30 and 40 flights on Monday, which will be mainly on French domestic services. In a statement on its website, easyJet says: “We are working to minimise the impact of the strike, but like other airlines flying to and from France there will be cancellations and potential delays.”

 

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Watch Monaco’s land extension unfold

A Sovereign Ordinance published in the Journal de Monaco on Friday, February 3, establishes two exclusion zones around the site of the future extension into the sea at Portier Cove.

The inner zone will be delimited by yellow buoys and extends from the Larvotto Marine Reserve, to the east, to the Tombant a Corail de Spélugues Marine Reserve in the west. The area is strictly forbidden for navigation, anchoring, fishing, underwater fishing, bathing and scuba diving.

Adjacent to this space, a “zone of work forbidding anchorage” extends over a strip of 60 metres offshore.

Zone de securite maritime

The establishment of these two zones is due to security reasons and limits access only to ships participating in the sea extension operations. Underwater diving in connection with this work will also be permitted.

Article first published February 5, 2017.

READ ALSO: First phase of land reclamation begins