In a week, it will be boom or bust for the billion-dollar element factory that forms the nerve of the entire Fehmarn project. On Thursday 9 November, the Folketing will first consider “L 57 Proposal for a law amending the law on the construction and operation of a fixed connection across the Fehmarn Belt with associated land facilities in Denmark and the law on Sund og Bælt Holding A/S”.
Behind the tongue-in-cheek title hides the bill that will make it possible to preserve the element factory in Rødbyhavn, even though it has fulfilled its actual purpose: To cast the 89 tunnel elements that the Fehmarn connection must be composed of.
Derives from Infrastructure Plan 2035
The bill is a follow-up to the agreement on Infrastructure Plan 2035 – an agreement the then S-government entered into in June 2021 with the Left, Danish People’s Party, SF, the Radicals, the Conservatives, the New Citizens, the Liberal Alliance and the Christian Democrats.
At the time, they indicated that they look positively on the possibility of Sund & Bælt Holding A/S retaining the tunnel element factory. There is thus a clear expectation that the majority in the Danish Parliament will vote to keep the factory.
More benefits
In the comments to the bill, the idea is explained in this way:
“Reuse of the production facilities is expected to enable shorter construction phases and cheaper future construction projects, as well as to contribute to ensuring the retention of the skills in Lolland that have been gained with the construction of the Fehmarn Belt connection.”
And:
“Recycling is also expected to result in a reduction of the environmental and climate impacts, as resources will not be used to establish production facilities for the manufacture of concrete structures or similar for future construction projects elsewhere.”
From the comments, it appears that the factory is expected to have a lifespan of approximately 25 years after the end of the production of tunnel elements for the Fehmarnbelt connection. After that, it is conceivable that the factory and the working port should be removed.
Business Lolland-Falster believes in it
– It was clear from the Parliament’s infrastructure agreement in June 2021 that there is broad political agreement to make the tunnel element factory permanent. Throughout the process, we have been in dialogue with the settlement parties and relevant ministries. That is why I firmly believe that the Minister of Transport will get support for the proposal that has now been put forward. Our local politicians have also done a lot of political legwork, says Mikkel Wesselhoff, director of the business organization Business Lolland-Falster.
Will save CO2
– A factory of that size and character will have an important significance for the region in relation to, among other things, the attraction and retention of labor and businesses. It will benefit the municipalities, citizens and local businesses, but there is also an important element of sustainability in this. The starting point was that the factory should be demolished once the tunnel was built. By allowing the factory to continue, we spare the climate from the unnecessary waste of CO2, that would be to tear down the factory and build new similar production facilities elsewhere, says Mikkel Wesselhoff.
Operation not in place yet
The plan is for a new company under Sund og Bælt to own the facilities. But this company does not necessarily have to be responsible for the operation.
As stated in the comments:
“Once the bill has been adopted, ratified and entered into force, a specific organizational model will be analysed. A possible model could be that Sund & Bælt Holding A/S does not have an active role and thereby is not involved in business decisions, but that Sund & Bælt Holding A/S offers a concession on the operation, enters into lease agreements or similar. After the adoption of the bill, the Minister of Transport, through the articles of association of Sund & Bælt Holding A/S, determines the precise organization on the basis of an agreement in the conciliation circle, which includes, among other things, a business case for preserving the tunnel element factory.
