Tunnel boring for the SuedLink Elbe crossing, ElbX, has been completed: having reached the target shaft in Wischhafen (Lower Saxony), the tunnel boring machine has successfully excavated the route, which is over five kilometres long!
The SuedLink project is one of Germany’s key infrastructure projects: in future, the route will transport renewable energy over a distance of around 700 kilometres from Schleswig-Holstein to Baden-Württemberg. A particular highlight is the crossing under the River Elbe via a 5.2 km-long tunnel, through which six extra-high-voltage direct-current cables will carry wind energy southwards. Together with PORR Germany, we are carrying out the tunnel boring works for the transmission system operator TenneT Germany as part of the ARGE Tunnel ElbX consortium.
Since early February 2025, the tunnel boring machine – some 200 metres long and specially manufactured for SuedLink – has been advancing under the Elbe from Wewelsfleth in Schleswig-Holstein to Wischhafen in Lower Saxony. This marks the achievement of another important milestone for one of the most technically challenging sections of the entire project.
The next step will involve lifting the tunnel boring machine out of the shaft and dismantling it into its individual parts. The tunnel will also be prepared for the subsequent cable pull-in.
A big thank you to our tunnelling teams for their daily commitment and outstanding work.