DEME & CFE sign contracts for the construction of the world’s longest immersed road and rail tunnel

The Femern Link Contractors joint venture, including DEME and CFE as project partners, has signed conditional* contracts with the Danish government for the design and build of the world’s longest immersed road and rail tunnel, the Fehmarnbelt link between Denmark and Germany, DEME said on Monday.

The international joint venture has won three contracts: two cover the construction of the immersed tunnel and the dedicated factory that will manufacture the precast tunnel elements and a third contract concerns the building of the portal structures, toll buildings, bridges and ramps. The three contracts have a combined value of €3.4 billion.

The joint venture comprises VINCI Construction Grands Projets (lead company for the tunnel contracts), Per Aarsleff Holding (lead company for the portal contract), Solétanche-Bachy International, CFE, Wayss & Freytag Ingenieurbau, Max Bögl Stiftung & Co, BAM Infra and BAM International.

The joint venture has appointed Dredging International (part of the DEME Group) as subcontractor for the tunnel contracts and COWI as consultant for all three contracts.

Through the appointment of Dredging International, Femern Link Contractors has secured the company’s vast expertise in trench cleaning and maintenance dredging, the accurate installation of foundation beds at great depths, controlled backfill operations and the installation of tunnel protection layers.

During the course of the project there will be further opportunities for other DEME companies, like DEME Building Materials (DBM) specialised in the supply of marine aggregates for the production of concrete, and DEME Infra Marine Contractors (DIMCO) active in civil marine works.

Out of the total contract value of €3.4 billion, the share of DEME and CFE amounts to €700 million.

The 18 km immersed tunnel connecting Denmark’s Lolland Falster region with Germany’s Schleswig Holstein region will be the world’s longest immersed road and rail tunnel. It will shorten the journey between the German and Danish coasts to just 10 minutes by car and 7 minutes by train, compared to the current travel time of one hour by ferry or a 160 km detour via the Danish region of Jutland by car.

The Fehmarnbelt tunnel project is one of Europe’s largest infrastructure projects to date. It will foster trade and tourism in Northern Europe.