The first of 89 concrete elements for the Fehmarn Belt tunnel was placed on the seabed off Rødbyhavn on Thursday morning.
The operation marks a long-awaited milestone for Denmark’s largest construction project. It also opens the phase that will, in practice, determine how quickly the tunnel can be completed.
Work began on Monday evening, when the 217-metre-long, 73,500-tonne tunnel element left the work harbour at the tunnel factory in Rødbyhavn. The immersion itself took just over 14 hours.
The operation was delayed by weather conditions, but by Thursday morning the element was in place in the tunnel trench. It was then connected to the tunnel portal using a hydraulic arm.
“We are both pleased and relieved. Our technology, our equipment and our contractors have passed a crucial test and done something no one has done before. It is a very big day for the project, for Denmark, Germany and Europe,” said Mikkel Hemmingsen, chief executive of Sund & Bælt.
The next step is for contractors to disconnect the element from the vessel used for the immersion. Gravel and crushed stone will then be placed along its sides to secure it in the trench.
Milestone after a long series of problems
The first successful immersion follows a prolonged period of difficulties on the Fehmarn project. FemernBusiness has previously revealed how the work has been delayed by problems with the special vessel IVY and disagreements over the quality of the tunnel trench.
Relations between the client, Femern A/S, and the main contractor, Femern Link Contractors, have also been strained by disputes over the timetable, responsibility and costs. The contractor has submitted a DKr14.5bn claim against Femern A/S, which is owned by Sund & Bælt, while a separate international arbitration case over Covid-related delays is also under way.
The original plan envisaged all 89 elements being immersed over three years. That work is due to be followed by up to two years of installations, testing and preparations before the link can open to traffic.
Once completed, the Fehmarn Belt tunnel will cut the journey between Rødbyhavn and Puttgarden to about 10 minutes by car and seven minutes by train, according to Sund & Bælt.
