Creation of a Multimodal Distribution Centre in the Ports of Lille
About this good practice
The CMDU (Centre Multimodal de Distribution Urbaine, Multimodal Urban Distribution Centre) was created in 2015 in the Ports of Lille, a strategic location at the interface between waterways, railways and roadways while very close to the city’s centre and the economic activities. The aims of this structure were several:
• Offer the possibility for shop owners to free up valuable space used for storage in shops (which can often represent 30% of the shops space). Shops stock would be delivered when needed by cargo bike.
• Receiving deliveries for shops located in the city centre and mutualise them in an optimised way or make the last mile with cargo bikes.
• Offer to take back the packaging and card boxes of deliveries to ship them by barges to an energy generating plant further up the river.
The aim of the CMDU was also to improve air quality, reduce congestion and free up public space by optimising and mutualising deliveries while prioritising the use of low emission vehicles (electric vans or cargo bikes).
The building is owned by the Ports of Lille on a land owned by the state. The CMDU was first operated by the company Oxipio. From 2019 to 2023, the site was operated by Urby (a subsidiary from the La Poste Group).
The CMDU is financed by different organisations: The Ports of Lille (53%), Interreg (19%), Region (15%), Central state (13%).
Resources needed
A building of 2500 sq meter was built and 5 million euros were invested to create the CMDU.
Evidence of success
In 2018, 70 000 deliveries were made from this site. 50 tons of goods were delivered from the site. Though the last operator of the site stopped its activities, there is a will from the city but also from the managers of the port and of the metropolitan local authority for the site to be operational again. There is a will to find several operators to work on the site, instead of a sole larger one, which would be specialised on different types of logistics.
Potential for learning or transfer
Though unsuccessful in its initial configuration, the experience taught us some valuable lessons. The most important one is that a CMDU works in conjunction with restrictions, defined by the local authority on vehicles circulation or on the mode of delivery (for example the creation of the Low Traffic Zone or a Low Emission Zone restricting the type of vehicle allowed in a specific area). In doing so, innovative sustainable logistics alternatives can more easily be economically competitive with alternatives. This also has the benefit of creating more liveable places, by reducing or at least regulating the use of large trucks in areas often busy with shops and restaurants and therefore people. In addition, we believe that the CMDU should be operating complemented by the use of smaller microhubs installed in different places in the city. The municipality is exploring the possibility to give access to facilities owned by the city to implement microhubs.
Further information
Good practice owner
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