SPIE modernises the wide-gauge waterway network for Voies navigables de France

Saint-Ouen, France, 12 March 2026 – SPIE CityNetworks, a French subsidiary of SPIE, the independent European leader in multi-technical services in the areas of energy and communications, announces the roll-out of 17 remote-controlled wide-gauge locks on the VNF (Voies navigables de France) waterway network in Hauts-de-France, which connects major industrial, logistics and commercial centres. This project involving 200 experts, which has been gradually implemented since early 2023, completely overhauls the management of the waterway network by making it possible to monitor 17 locks from a centralised control centre, which is operated across two sites in Waziers and Valenciennes in the Nord department.

17 remote-controlled locks and a centralised control centre

Accelerating the energy transition by making inland waterway transport the norm

Forming part of the European Seine-Scheldt network project, which is seeking to establish a modern waterway network comprising 1100 km of wide-gauge navigable waterways to connect France, Belgium and the Netherlands, this project addresses two challenges at once: renovating the waterway infrastructure and encouraging a modal shift towards a low-carbon means of transport. 

Inland waterway transport is a major energy transition lever: it uses four times less energy per tonne-kilometre than an HGV and emits up to five times less CO₂. A 400-tonne barge could therefore take 20 HGVs off the road, significantly reducing road congestion and harmful emissions^1. The Seine–Nord Europe Canal, a 107-km long wide-gauge waterway, will make it possible to connect the main industrial, logistics and commercial centres of Northern Europe.

Multi-technical expertise serving essential infrastructure

In collaboration with EJ SAS, a company that specialises in electrical installation work, SPIE CityNetworks has provided technical expertise covering all aspects of the remote control system, which allows operators to remotely control multiple locks at the same time from a centralised control centre, thanks to cameras, audio systems and control interfaces, all while maintaining real-time communication with the waterway users.

On the electrical side, the SPIE CityNetworks teams installed new electrical cabinets at all sites, while rolling out the remote control infrastructure, which includes HD cameras and two-way audio systems (speakers and intercom systems) that allow the operators in the centralised control centre to see, hear and communicate in real-time with the waterway users. The workstation ergonomics have also been redesigned to ensure operator comfort (adjustable seats, optimised heating and lighting systems).

The video monitoring and control component lies at the very heart of the system. SPIE has developed a SCADA² solution that makes it possible to centrally monitor and remotely control 20 lock chambers, giving operators a complete, real-time overview of the status of the network.

Meticulous work was required to supply all of the new high- and low-voltage equipment with power and to connect it to the existing network. In particular, an optical fibre connection has been established to guarantee that communication between the locks and the remote control centres is clear and secure.

In addition to this technical installation work carried out on-site, which drew on SPIE's expertise with regard to operating room ergonomics, the company was also responsible for the overall management of the project and for all aspects of the remote control centre refurbishment, which was to be completed without any service interruption.

A single project with numerous benefits for sustainable mobility

This project constitutes an organisational transformation for VNF. Where previously a lockmaster would manage a single lock in isolation, the navigation operators now work as a team in centralised control centres and can monitor several sites at once. This new organisation strengthens the security of the service, shortens service response times and optimises network availability for low-carbon mobility. The SPIE CityNetworks teams now have an in-depth understanding of the work of a lockmaster and of the operational challenges involved.

From 2026 onwards, the remote control system will make it possible to control all 17 wide-gauge locks on the waterway network in the Nord-Pas de Calais basin and to extend the operating hours from the current 6am to 10pm to 24/7 operation if traffic so requires, thus facilitating the modal shift towards low-carbon means of transport.

The project will be fully completed in late 2026, with the integration of the final four locks on the Bauvin–Dunkirk branch.

"SPIE CityNetworks, which has already built up a reputation as an expert in electric mobility, is proud to contribute to decarbonising transport. More than 50 employees from three SPIE offices (Lesquin, Vénissieux and Toulouse) worked to ensure that the multi-technical challenges presented by this structural project could be overcome. We also worked alongside VNF to bring about significant changes to the way in which lockmasters work, allowing them to harness technological innovation while maintaining a human touch,” highlights Julien Duval, Project Manager at SPIE CityNetworks.

_{1- Source: Institut Paris Région}

_{2-SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition): Industrial monitoring software that makes it possible to control and monitor technical equipment, machines and processes, whether on a single site or distributed across multiple sites}