‘Green’ Stade du Moustoir, Lorient, France
Stade du Moustoir, which is also known as Stade Yves-Allainmat, is a multi-use stadium owned by the city of Lorient. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of FC Lorient. The stadium can hold up to 18,500 people.
The stadium initially opened in 1959, replacing the sports park that has hosted various sports since 1924. In 1998 when FC Lorient got promoted to the First Tier in France the stadium has been renovated. Before the start of the season 2010/2011 FC Lorient decided, as one of the first teams in the French League, to get a synthetic pitch installed. A major reason for this decision was to ensure continuously optimal conditions for high quality football matches. Also the increased usability for other teams in the club has been a major driving force. Further aspects included the impact on the environment through reduced water consumption and no need for chemicals. From an economic perspective the club had to invest more than would have been the case for a natural pitch but through the increased lifetime of the time which was estimated at 15 years significant savings are expected. Furthermore the extended use not only for football but also for events and festivities creates additional revenues for the club. The club’s physician even acknowledges that the amount of injuries has declined with a synthetic pitch, adding another benefit for the club.
Even apart from the synthetic pitch Stade du Moustoir is a real ‘green’ stadium in terms of:
- Electricity production with solar cells
- Transport of supporters to and from the venues by public transport, bikes or walking
- Heating, isolation and climatisation
- Water consumption
- Waste disposal
