By rosebell
Following that in July 2024 the 4.9m-diameter Herrenknecht mixshield TBM passed its Factory Acceptance Test, it currently is ready for assembly at the launch site in Wewelsfleth in Schleswig-Holstein.
Operating the TBM for digging a 5.2km-long tunnel beneath the River Elbe is up to ARGE Tunnel Elbx, comprising Porr and Wayss and Freytag. The river crossing is part of the Suedlink grid expansion project that is due to transport electricity over 700km from Brunsbüttel in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany, to Großgartach in Baden-Württemberg, southern Germany. The transmission system operators are Teneet and Transnet.
The next pahse for this TBM after passing its FAT, was disassembling and transporting by ship from Herrenknecht’s factory in Schwanau to northern Germany, and then by heavy load transporting for the final 2km.
Considering that the TBM was designed to meet the challenges of geology of clay, peat, sand, and gravel as well as stones and boulders, its diameter allowed the cutterhead to be delivered as a complete component.
