In December 2023, the Danish Parliament decided that the working port at Rødbyhavn, together with the element factory, can remain when the Fehmarn Tunnel is completed. In the original Construction Act, it was stated that both the element factory and the working harbor were temporary facilities that had to be removed when the tunnel was finished.
It has obviously inspired the local government in Fehmarn (Stadt Fehmarn). In any case, at the beginning of January, Stadt Fehmarn sent an inquiry to Femern A/S regarding the future use of the port. Mayor Jörg Weber (outside the parties) confirms this to FemernReport.
– It is too early to talk about details, but we wrote to Femern A/S on 7 January and they replied to us on 12 January. Now the planning and approval process is pending, says Jörg Weber.
Owned by the Danish state
It is the state-owned Danish construction company, Femern A/S, that owns the working port. Therefore, it is also Femern A/S that, if necessary, must hand it over to the German municipality or another owner or operator.
Press manager, Jens Villemoes, from Femern A/S confirms in a written reply that the company has received an inquiry from Stadt Fehmarn:
“We have received an inquiry from Stadt Fehmarn, who would like to start a dialogue about a future use of the German working harbor at Puttgarden. We are of course open to such a dialogue. According to the authority’s approval, the working port is a temporary installation that must be removed again. If it is to be permanent, then it requires a separate permit from the German authorities,” states an e-mail from Femern A/S.
Slow authority process
Whether it is the municipality itself or an external operator that will own and/or operate the port facility in the future is still too early to say. In any case, the process, which in German is called Planfeststellungsverfahren, is now pending.
The Planfeststellungsverfahren is a German administrative procedure used to approve major construction and infrastructure projects, such as roads, railways and airports. It can be compared to a detailed planning and approval process that ensures that all relevant aspects of a project are thoroughly assessed before the green light is given to start construction. And it may well be a slow performance. The preparatory work of the authorities in Germany thus delayed the start of construction on the Fehmarn Tunnel by several years.
One fifth of the working port on Lolland
The working harbor at Puttgarden is a much smaller facility than its “big brother” in Rødbyhavn. The port facility takes up a total of approximately ten hectares and has a 170 meter quay. By comparison, the working harbor in Rødbyhavn takes up approximately 50 hectares.
