Every year, the Capital Region of Denmark will save over DKK 300 million on freight transport in and out of the region when the Fehmarn connection opens. Gothenburg and the catchment area (Halland and Västra Götaland) account for a saving of over 111 million, and Region Zealand accounts for an annual saving on the import and export of goods of just over 104 million Danish kroner. This is the conclusion of a report that Rambøll has produced for the STRING collaboration.
Saved fuel and travel time
The big savings come from saved fuel and saved travel time, which in turn means fewer driver hours. When the figure for Greater Copenhagen is so much higher than the other regions, it is primarily because business activity in and around Copenhagen is much higher than in the rest of the country.
Germany looks south
Business activity in Germany is, however, significantly higher than in the Scandinavian countries combined, yet the Hamburg region will “only” achieve an annual saving of just under 60 million, while the state of Schleswig-Holstein can record a gain of just under 30 million kroner annually. The low German savings is due to the fact that the German business community has its eyes fixed on the south both in relation to imports and exports.
Political cooperation between four countries
It is the STRING collaboration that commissioned the Rambøll report, which was presented at the German embassy in Copenhagen on Monday. STRING is a political collaboration between 16 municipalities, regions and states in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Germany.
However, it is not only savings on transport that are in store when the Fehmarn connection opens. According to the Rambøll report, total international trade in the entire STRING region will increase by almost DKK 7.1 billion, when imports and exports are counted together.
Growth in imports and exports
Also in international trade, it is Greater Copenhagen that stands to score the biggest gain. Exports here are expected to increase by a good 1.7 billion, while imports are also expected to increase by over 1.5 billion kroner. Region Zealand and the Gothenburg region can both look forward to a growth in exports of just over DKK 603 million, while imports in and around Gothenburg increase by almost DKK 581 million. Region Zealand can expect an increase in imports of almost DKK 544 million.
Low activity in Schleswig-Holstein
Again, the difference is explained by the markedly different levels of activity in the different regions. And here, too, Germany stands to gain less from the Fehmarn connection. For the Hamburg area, the figures are around half of what Region Zealand stands to gain. Schleswig-Holstein has to “make do” with a gain of around DKK 156 million on exports, while imports are expected to increase by just over DKK 134 million. Here, too, the explanation for the lower German figures is that Germany primarily imports and exports to the south, and that business activity is generally low in Schleswig-Holstein.
Facts – STRING Members:
• Oslo Municipality
• Viken Municipality
• The state of Schleswig-Holstein
• The city-state of Hamburg
• Kiel Municipality
• Region Västra Götaland
• Region Halland
• Region Scania
• Helsingborg Municipality
• Gothenburg Municipality
• Malmö Municipality
•Copenhagen municipality
• Copenhagen/capital Region
•Region Zealand
•South Denmark Region
