Case Study: Grand Port Maritime de Bordeaux achieves accessible digital twin simulation with Google Cloud Platform

Grand Port Maritime de Bordeaux: Establishing its community-driven digital twin with Google Cloud

Grand Port Maritime de Bordeaux, a major port hub in France’s Aquitaine region, needed a better way to manage sediment buildup in the Gironde estuary and improve navigation while supporting its sustainability goals. The port’s earlier digital model was effective but too technical to use widely, requiring expert IT skills and high-performance computing; as a result, it was mostly limited to engineering consultancies. Google Cloud Platform, through its Cloud HPC toolkit, supported the port’s digital twin initiative.

Google Cloud Platform implemented a high-performance, user-friendly environment for the River’s Digital Twin, making the digital model accessible to all partners involved. The solution helped the port better anticipate mud concentrations, focus dredging efforts, and support ecosystem preservation. The case study highlights a scalable and innovative approach, with the digital model now accessible to a broader set of stakeholders and helping address dredging costs of €12–13 million per year.

Grand Port Maritimede Bordeaux

Fabrice Klein

Innovation Manager