Haute-Seine Shipyards

What Haute-Seine Shipyards does

Haute-Seine Shipyards (Chantiers de la Haute-Seine, abbreviated CHS) is a French inland-waterway shipbuilder founded in 1919 and headquartered in Rungis, France, with its principal shipyard site at Villeneuve-le-Roi on the Seine, 14 km upstream of Paris. The company operates a 20,000 m² integrated shipyard site containing four dry-docking slipways with capacity up to 800 tonnes, a covered assembly dock (darse d'armement couverte), an assembly slab (marbre de montage), 1,600 m² of covered workshops, two tower cranes, three overhead cranes, and supporting quays and esplanades. Approximately 50 skilled professionals carry out boiler-making, welding, mechanical, electrical, and piping work in-house, executing turnkey steel vessel construction, repair, dry-docking (around 80 dry-dockings per year), refit, propulsion modernization, and hybrid/electric conversion projects with an ~18-month lead time from concept to delivery on newbuilds.

The company is structured as a SASU (single-member simplified joint-stock company) wholly owned by CEMEX since 2005, with €224,000 share capital registered under SIREN 785 790 247. Revenue is generated through project-based contracts on a quote-based pricing model with 30% advance on order and monthly progress billing for works exceeding one month. Customers are segmented across industrial fluvial operators and cargo fleets (including the CEMEX internal fleet of 13 pushers and Morillon Corvol), passenger boat and tourist cruise companies (Compagnie des Bateaux Mouches, Vedettes de Paris, Yachts de Paris, Esprit Seine), floating establishments (Rosa Bonheur, Ducasse sur Seine, CROUS de Paris university restaurant barge), and government/municipal entities (Mairie d'Alforville). Notable flagship projects include the 22-month complete rehabilitation and hybridization of the L'Hirondelle passenger boat for Compagnie des Bateaux Mouches (returned to service February 2025), the construction of the Héméra event vessel for Esprit Seine (July 2023–June 2024) with electric propulsion, aquathermy HVAC, and hydrogen-ready architecture, and the remotorization of multiple CEMEX and Morillon Corvol pushers to CCNR2 Phase 3 and Stage V compliance.

The company's competitive positioning rests on its century-long heritage as one of France's first river shipyards by structure and personnel, in-house vertical integration across all trades, capital-intensive infrastructure difficult to replicate in the Île-de-France region, and a regulatory and ESG credential stack including ISO 14001, Bureau Veritas classification expertise, certified welder qualifications (EN 287), and the UIMM RSE Charter attestation received in April 2025. Strategic emphasis is on hybrid and electric propulsion modernization to address tightening environmental standards on the Seine and other French inland waterways.

Name

Haute-Seine Shipyards

Legal name

CHANTIERS DE LA HAUTE SEINE (CHS)

Website

https://chantiers-navals-haute-seine.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chantiers de la Haute-Seine is a French inland-waterway shipbuilder founded in 1919, owned by CEMEX. It operates a 20,000 m² yard near Paris with four 800T slipways, providing steel vessel construction, repair, dry-docking, and hybrid propulsion modernization for fluvial operators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Shipbuilding & Marine Construction

NAICS

Ship Building and Repairing (336611), Ship and Boat Building (3366)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Yard Layout & Production Facilities (Assembly Bays, Block Fabrication Shops, Warehouses) (IMAJALAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dry Docks & Floating Docks (Graving, Floating, Syncrolift) (IMAJALAA), Mechanical Systems Repair (Engines, Propulsion, Pumps) (TLAKAKAF), Heavy Lifting & Material Handling Infrastructure (Goliath Cranes, Jib Cranes, Hoists) (IMAJALAD), Piping, HVAC & Auxiliary Systems Repair (TLAKAKAH)

Keywords

• Shipbuilding services
• River vessel construction
• Vessel repair maintenance
• Hybrid propulsion systems
• Steel boat fabrication

Headquarters

HQ city

Villeneuve-le-roi

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Shipbuilding (new construction): Turnkey construction of steel vessels from concept to sea trials and delivery, including design, steel fabrication, assembly, outfitting, and commissioning. Projects include passenger boats, event vessels, barges, pontoons, and pushers. Construction lead time approximately 18 months from initial client brief to final delivery.
2. Repair and maintenance services: Dry-docking (tirage à terre), hull inspection, painting, engine repair, refit, and modernization services. Approximately 80 dry-dockings per year.
3. Propulsion modernization and hybridization: Re-engining, hybrid propulsion system installation, battery pack integration, and electric propulsion retrofits for existing vessels to meet current environmental standards (CCNR2 Phase 3, IMO Tier II, Stage V).
4. Specialized steel fabrication: Custom boilermaking, welding, mechanical, electrical, and piping work produced in-house for vessel construction and repair.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Haute-Seine Shipyards (Chantiers de la Haute-Seine) is a French inland-waterway shipyard that builds, repairs, and modernizes steel river vessels including passenger boats, pushers, barges, pontoons, and floating establishments. Operations cover the full project lifecycle — design, boiler-making, welding, mechanical, electrical and piping work, assembly, dry-docking (tirage à terre up to 800T), sea trials, and commissioning — all performed on a 20,000 m² integrated site in Villeneuve-le-Roi. The yard specializes in hybrid and electric propulsion retrofitting to help clients meet CCNR2 Phase 3, IMO Tier II, and Stage V emissions standards.

Product overview

Chantiers de la Haute-Seine is a traditional shipyard offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and services centered on river vessel construction, repair, and transformation. The company operates primarily as a manufacturer of steel-hulled vessels including passenger boats, pushers, barges, and pontoons, with recent focus on hybrid and electric propulsion systems. Key products include constructed vessels like Héméra (event boat) and rehabilitated vessels like L'Hirondelle (passenger boat), alongside services such as dry-docking (tirage à terre up to 800T), ship construction, and repair/transformation operations. The yard also manufactures custom metal components through its workshop facilities. The company has developed expertise in hybrid propulsion integration, including battery systems and electric motor installation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tirage à terre (Dry-docking services)

Quantifiable outcome

• ~80 dry-dockings performed per year
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• STIM AluminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSpecialized metalworking company that collaborated with CHS on the Bailli de Suffren (Alex) pontoon transformation project. STIM Alu produced the superstructure of the pontoon under CHS's lead management.
• Delhay Menuiserie de la MarineminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCarpentry company specializing in marine interiors. Mandated by Yachts de Paris for work on the Excellence vessel, performing pre-work stripping and fabricating furniture integrating fire hoses.
• Fluvial ElecminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerElectrical specialist for fluvial vessels. Mandated by Yachts de Paris armateur for connecting electropumps on the Excellence vessel project.
• Bureau VeritascoreTechnology or IntegrationClassification society that controls and certifies vessels. CHS builds vessels under Bureau Veritas supervision and performs EU Certificate renewals through BV. Approximately 5-year validity for BV-classified vessels. CHS materials are optionally supplied with BV or Lloyd's certificates.
• AMO FaciliminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProject management/assistance firm collaborating with CHS on Le Vauban pusher remotorization through weekly project meetings over 6 months.
• SofradiminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSpecialist glazing company that measured templates for new glass panels after the new superstructure frame was completed on the Jean-Sébastien Mouche modernization.
• UIMM (Union des Industries et Métiers de la Métallurgie)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry union for the metallurgical sector. CHS received the RSE engagement charter attestation from UIMM in 2025. UIMM supports SME industrial transformation through a structured 5-pillar CSR framework.
• Fédération de pêche et de protection du milieu aquatique localeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal fishing federation collaborated with CHS during dry-dock infrastructure maintenance to conduct a fish rescue operation (pêche de sauvegarde), extracting ~60 fish from a sectioned-off slipway and returning them safely to the Seine.
• EurodimominorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAsbestos diagnostic specialist that performs surveys within 48–72 hours of CHS request, when no technical file is available or when asbestos presence is suspected. CHS works regularly with Eurodimo for pre-work asbestos assessments.
• RECYDISminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLicensed waste management company that handles removal of asbestos-containing waste from CHS site. Double-bagged and specifically marked before collection, with a tracking form returned to CHS and transmitted to the client.
• Pierre Edouard Chenet / Chenet Design & ArchitectureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitect of the Héméra event vessel. Designed the innovative boat with electric propulsion, aquathermy HVAC, and hydrogen-ready architecture.
• Seine DesignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitectural firm that directed the Rosa Bonheur floating guinguette construction. CHS built the complete steel hull under Seine Design's directive, under Bureau Veritas control.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Socarenam: French shipyard group (Boulogne-sur-Mer) active in shipbuilding, repair and refit for commercial, fishing and naval clients. Comparable to CHS as a mid-sized French shipbuilder with strong repair/Maintenance & Repair (MRO) capabilities serving inland and coastal operators.
• SOGEMA: French ship repair and conversion group with yards in Toulon, Brest and La Ciotat. Comparable to CHS as a French MRO specialist performing repair, refit and modernization of commercial and naval vessels, though focused on larger Mediterranean fleets.
• Piriou: French naval construction group building and repairing commercial, naval and offshore vessels up to ~120m. Like CHS, Piriou combines new construction with repair/refit services, operates multiple sites along the French coastline, and serves both private operators and public-sector clients.
• Efinor: French industrial group with shipbuilding, metalworking and clean-energy subsidiaries (including Efinor Marine and H2X). Comparable to CHS in its combination of steel vessel construction, repair services and growing focus on hybrid/electric propulsion for workboats and inland vessels.
• Merré: Bordeaux-based French shipyard specialized in vessel construction, repair and refit. Comparable to CHS as a smaller, regionally-rooted French shipyard with similar capabilities in steel construction, hybridization and dry-docking for inland/river vessels.

Broad incumbents

• Chantiers de l'Atlantique: Saint-Nazaire-based major French shipyard building cruise ships, naval vessels and large offshore platforms. Comparable only at a category level — French steel shipbuilding — but vastly larger in scale, focused on much bigger vessels than CHS's fluvial niche.
• Damen Shipyards: Dutch global shipbuilding group with a dedicated inland-waterway and workboat division producing pusher boats, barges and river vessels. A much larger, internationally diversified peer that competes with CHS in the French and European inland-fleet re-engining market.
• Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie (CMN): Cherbourg-based French shipbuilder producing fast patrol vessels, military and specialized commercial ships. A larger, more internationally-focused French peer with overlapping capabilities in steel vessel construction and refit, but focused on defense and larger commercial vessels.

Regional players

• Neopolia: France-based maritime and industrial consortium of SMEs based in the Atlantic region, pooling capabilities in vessel construction, repair and energy transition. A regional French peer addressing similar decarbonization-driven modernization demand as CHS, but serving Atlantic rather than Seine/inland clients.

Others

• Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore: Classification society that controls and certifies vessels built or repaired by CHS. Listed as an OTHERS peer because it is an ecosystem participant rather than a competitor — it underwrites the BV-class compliance that is central to CHS's regulatory moat and ability to deliver hybrid/electric projects.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ChantiersHauteSeine
• Instagraminstagram.com/chantiershauteseine

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Haute-Seine Shipyards