It is an expression of jealousy from Scandlines when a report from KRAKA, commissioned by the ferry company, points out that the Fehmarn project’s CO2 account is based on an outdated and incorrect basis. That is the immediate conclusion of a written comment from Femern A/S on the criticism the KRAKA report directs at the project.
The KRAKA report has led the radical transport rapporteur, Stinus Lindgreen, to suggest that the project be put on hold until more sustainable concrete and steel technology is available.
Can’t surprise anyone
– It is neither surprising nor the first time that Scandlines has ordered a report critical of Fehmarn. We naturally understand that Scandlines are concerned about the prospect of competition on a route where they currently have a monopoly. It therefore cannot surprise anyone that Scandlines proposes to postpone the connection, writes Femern A/S in an e-mail to FemernReport.
Will not answer specific questions
FemernReport has asked Femern A/S whether it is even realistic to postpone the project and, if so, what it will cost in both time and money. Femern A/S did not want to answer those questions, so they must wait for Transport Minister Thomas Danielsen’s answer to the questions Stinus Lindgreen has asked the minister based on the KRAKA report.
A contribution to the green transition
However, Femern A/S believes that the Femern Tunnel is overall a positive contribution to making the transport sector more sustainable:
– The Fehmarn Belt Tunnel is a central part of the TEN-T network in Europe, whose aim is precisely to promote sustainable forms of transport and infrastructure. With the Fehmarnbelt tunnel, Denmark gets a faster, flexible, road-independent and energy-efficient connection between eastern Denmark and Germany. The connection creates, among other things, a 160-kilometer shortcut for electric freight and passenger trains, and the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel therefore constitutes a not inconsiderable contribution to the green transformation of the transport sector, writes the state-owned developer company in its email reply to FehmarnReport.
The project produces more CO2 than cement
The Fehmarn project will emit around two million tonnes of CO2 during the construction phase alone – primarily from steel and cement production. This means that more CO2 actually comes out of the project than cement, as it is estimated that around 1.1 million tonnes of cement will go into the tunnel project.
The best explained project in Danish history
Nevertheless, Femern A/S believes that the climate and environmental impact of the tunnel project is fully explained, and that the tunnel is built and operated as sustainably as possible:
– The Fehmarn Belt project is the best explained project in Danish history, and it is carried out with as much consideration for nature and the environment as possible. We work purposefully together with our contractors to reduce the extent of emissions as much as possible during the construction phase, and we also expect that the Fehmarn Belt tunnel will be operated CO2-neutral, concludes Fehmarn A/S in its written response.
Casting work in full swing
Casting work on the first tunnel segment is already in full swing at the element factory in Rødbyhavn, so a postponement so late in the process must be expected to have major consequences. But Femern A/S did not want to deal with them in front of FemernReport.
