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Massive concrete element for Femern Belt connection is in place
🇩🇰 Denmark /Energy & Infrastructure

Massive concrete element for Femern Belt connection is in place

From Berlingske · () Danish

Translated from Danish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • A 73,500-ton concrete element, the third of 89 for the Femern Belt Fixed Link, has been placed on the seabed off Lolland, Denmark.
  • The 217-meter-long element was transported from a factory in Rødbyhavn and submerged over two days, a complex precision task.
  • The opening of the tunnel, connecting Denmark and Germany, is now expected in 2032, delayed from an original 2029 target due to technical and infrastructure challenges.

A massive, 73,500-ton concrete element has been successfully placed on the seabed as part of the ongoing construction of the Femern Belt Fixed Link, a significant undersea tunnel connecting Denmark and Germany. This is the third of 89 tunnel elements that will form the 18-kilometer-long connection.

The colossal element, measuring 217 meters in length, was carefully transported from its manufacturing facility in Rødbyhavn. It was then towed by five tugboats to the tunnel trench and submerged over a two-day period, a process described as a "demanding precision task where many parts must work together." Lasse Vester, vice contract director at Sund & Bælt, the Danish project authority, expressed satisfaction with the successful placement, noting that the element now rests securely on the seabed.

A demanding precision task where many parts must work together.

— Lasse Vester, vice contract director in Sund & BæltVester describes the complex process of submerging and placing the massive concrete tunnel element.

Following its placement, the element's sides will be covered with stones and gravel to ensure it remains stable within the tunnel trench. The element is designed with five tubes that will accommodate a highway, a railway, and a service duct for technical installations. The Femern Belt tunnel will operate at an average water depth of 30 meters. For comparison, the Øresund Link between Denmark and Sweden is nearly 16 kilometers long, with 4 kilometers of that being tunnel constructed from 20 elements.

Despite the progress, the project faces delays. The opening of the tunnel for car traffic, initially planned for 2029, has been postponed to at least 2032. This delay is attributed to challenges with the specialized vessel used for submerging the tunnel elements. Furthermore, the opening of the railway connection has been indefinitely postponed due to delays in preparing the necessary railway infrastructure on the German side. Once completed, the tunnel is expected to reduce travel time between Rødbyhavn and the German island of Fehmarn to just ten minutes by car and seven minutes by train.

Therefore, we are very satisfied that another element now lies safely on the seabed.

— Lasse Vester, vice contract director in Sund & BæltVester expresses relief and satisfaction following the successful placement of the concrete element.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Berlingske in Danish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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