The last of the major Femern contracts is to be awarded – as planned – in about a year’s time. Nonetheless, one of the prequalified bidders decided to take a break from technical specifications and bid calculations and instead take a trip to Holeby.
A Spanish consortium consisting of the two Spanish infrastructure companies Cobra and Acciona had turned up three members strong to get a head start on courting potential subcontractors. The latter were gathered for the annual general assembly in the subcontractor network FB Suppliers.
DKK 60 million per Kilometer
The TTC (Tunnel Track and Catenary) contract for the Femern project involves a modest 25 kilometers of double high-speed railway tracks with overhead lines in the Femern tunnel’s railway tube. However, there is hardly anything more complicated than railway installations, so the contract is expected to land with a price tag of around 1.5 billion kroner. In round figures, that amounts to about 60 million kroner per kilometer.
Need approximately 500 employees
The Cobra-Acciona consortium estimates that they will have significant need for deliveries and services from FB Suppliers’ member companies. This includes equipment, machinery, and above all, qualified labor.
– Of course, it’s hard to say exactly, but we expect that we will need around 500 employees for the task, and we would like as many locals as possible, explained Alba Vilanueva, who is the chief estimator at Acciona.
Lolland’s soft soil requires expertise
The 500 employees will range from engineers and geologists to cleaning personnel and drivers. Particularly, the soft soil on the stretch on Lolland up to the tunnel tube calls for local expertise:
– We need someone with a good understanding of the soil conditions on Lolland and how we will cast the foundations for the masts that are to carry the overhead lines, explained Jaume Aymeria, who is construction manager at Acciona.
– We are here because we need your help. So please contact us if you believe you can contribute, was the invitation from bid manager Jesus Real from Cobra.
If some of the readers find the Cobra name familiar in a Femern context, that is correct. The Spanish company actually constitutes the main part of the FSC consortium, which will be responsible for the technical installations, safety equipment, and traffic management in the tunnel.
Might keep it in the family
Cobra is also owned by the French construction giant Vinci, which also sits at the head of the FLC consortium responsible for the actual tunnel construction. So, there is a chance for a big family celebration if Cobra-Acciona is also invited to the tunnel project.
Besides Spanish Cobra-Acciona, PORR (Austria, Germany), TSO – Swietelsky (France, Austria), and Aarsleff Rail – Rhomberg (Denmark, Austria) are prequalified to bid for the TTC contract.
