By Ashley Karen
Femern A/S has shortlisted four international consortia in the competition to construct the electrified railway in the Fehmarnbelt tunnel to Germany. The contract has an anticipated total tender price of about DKK 1.5 billion and concentrates on climate-friendly solutions during construction and operation. It involves building a 25 km railway section plus a catenary system.
Totally, nine large consortia had applied to be prequalified to tender for the contract. Of these, four consortia have now been chosen to participate in the proceeding process which will result in the final award of the contract.
The four mentioned consortia are:
- PORR (Austria, Germany)
- TSO – Swietelsky (France, Austria)
- Aarsleff Rail – Rhomberg (Denmark, Austria)
- ACSA – Cobra (Spain)
The four appointed consortia meet all the prequalification necessities for documented experience, e.g., rail safety and compliance with CSR-related requirements.
“Our objective is to deliver a climate-neutral railway when in operation and contribute to the green transition of the transport sector. Following the intense competition, we have now selected the four consortia with the strongest hand to bid for the contract and deliver a railway which both during construction and in operation is focused on climate-friendly solutions,” expresses Kirsten Christensen, Contract Director, Femern A/S, with responsibility for the railway installations.
The Tunnel Track and Catenary contract (TTC) incorporates a two-track railway and catenary system constructed for 200 km/hour, of which 19 km are linked to the tunnel, and about 6 km are outside the tunnel on the Danish and German sides.
When it reaches the final tender, Femern A/S will highlight price, methods and organization that minimize risk in execution and solutions that manage the problematic space conditions in the tunnel.
In addition, the contractor will be mandated to undertake the work in a climate-friendly way, containing a clear target for CO2 emissions during the construction period.
Kirsten Christensen claimed: “With the four participants, we now have a solid basis on which to continue the competition for the contract, and we look forward to engaging in a close and thorough dialogue. We expect to be presented with technical solutions that are in the absolute top league as far as the railway sector is concerned.”
Femern A/S envisions receiving the final bids in mid-2024. Then, the contract will be granted at the beginning of 2025 at the latest, with start-up shortly afterwards.
Once the tunnel with its electrified railway is complete in 2029, it will be a green ‘shortcut’ for freight and passengers transport by rail to Europe with a journey time of seven minutes across Fehmarnbelt. Nevertheless, it will save a 160 km detour.
Construction work in Rødbyhavn and Puttgarden is pleasingly underway with a 2,000-strong workforce engaged in the tunnel factory construction and the tunnel elements production.
