Monaco : a princely environmental mess

Monaco is building a luxury district in the sea. Sea grasses and giant clams have been moved - but the Princely State is holding back information about the environmental consequences.

Marine biologist Philippe Bornens is looking for the right words. He tries to present the concrete coast off Monaco as environmentally friendly. Because the principality is currently filling up six hectares of land. Hundreds of thousands of tons of concrete form the foundation stone for a new luxury district. Bornens is said to save animals and plants from the concrete. "It's not an easy task," he says.

Monaco has a space problem: it is the smallest country on earth after the Vatican. Nevertheless, more people want to come to the country to park their money here tax-free. That is why several villas have made room for thirty-story high-rise buildings in recent years. 

However, the head of Monaco, Prince Albert, maintains a green image externally, he presents himself as a marine protector. Among other things, Albert organizes international conferences on maritime topics, such as 2018 on "Coral reefs and their protection" . According to the website, Albert's foundation is committed to declaring marine regions to be protected areas - but they are far away, in the Arctic or in Cambodia. In their own country, the ecological conscience was outweighed by real estate prices of around 50,000 euros per square meter . "In the beginning, the prince wanted a project with no consequences for the environment," says Bornens. "Then I explained to him: Then he would have to cancel it."

Prince Albert with the model for the new district © Eric Gaillard / AFP / Getty Images

The building was of course not canceled. Instead, Bornens should ensure that all marine animals and plants are moved from the construction site to pristine locations in the Mediterranean. That is why tons of stones have already been scraped off the sea floor and 500 square meters of sea grass have been moved.

The construction is said to cost two billion euros into the sea. A year and a half ago, the first concrete pylon was launched into the sea, weighing ten tons and 27 meters high. It was cast for nine days in a purpose-built factory in Marseille, 200 kilometers away. In the meantime, 18 more pylons have been sunk in the water.

The foundation was cast with tankers and water cranes as big as oil rigs. 400,000 tons of sand were brought in from Piombino, Italy, 400 kilometers away, and 300,000 tons from Marseille. An area of ​​three soccer fields was torn from the sea.

The Prime Minister of Monegasque Serge Telle appeased: "We have done everything to disturb living beings as little as possible." That was a matter close to the heart of the prince. That is why he employs a number of people who are supposed to ensure a green image of this major project. Like Philippe Bornens, who otherwise works in Brittany and now flies regularly to Monaco