The Seine and Energy Transition: Historical Lessons for a Sustainable Future

Abstract

The history of navigation on the Seine offers a unique laboratory for examining how energy transitions transform the systems that support river transport. This case study explores how the historical management of energy on the Seine – particularly as documented in Bernard Le Sueur’s work on the history of French river navigation – can inform contemporary energy transition strategies for river transport. The Seine illustrates a fundamental principle: service always precedes integration. From the organisation of hauliers in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine in the 19th century to the current challenges of ensuring low-carbon energy in the Seine Valley, the sector’s organisational evolution shows that new energy technologies first appear as external services before being integrated into transport units. This historical analysis contributes directly to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 7: Clean Energy, SDG 9: Innovation and Infrastructure, and SDG 13: Climate Action) by proposing innovative organisational models to accelerate the energy transition in European river transport.