The roof of the first of the three production halls for the concrete elements of the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel has been completed. Around 1,000 workers celebrated the occasion with a topping-out ceremony at the construction site in Rødbyhavn.
On Wednesday 8 June 2022, Femern A/S and the main contractor FLC held a topping-out ceremony at the main construction site of the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel in Rødbyhavn on Lolland. The 217-metre-long concrete elements for the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel are being cast in the three production halls. The roof and façades of the first hall have already been completed.
The occasion was marked with a traditional Danish topping-out ceremony attended by hundreds of workers involved in the project. Representatives of the state-owned client, Femern A/S, and the consortium of main contractors, Fehmarn Link Contractors, were delighted to have reached this milestone.
"This factory is a tangible testament to what exceptional engineering and solid craftsmanship can achieve. Everyone involved in the construction of this mega-project can be proud of their contribution to building a transport link that will benefit many future generations," said Henrik Vincentsen, CEO of Femern A/S.
"Today is a special day on which we celebrate the many hundreds of workers who have worked hard to build the world’s largest tunnel segment factory. We still have many years of work ahead of us, but today we are taking a moment to admire the plant and the tremendous effort it symbolises,” emphasised Sébastien Bliaut, CEO of the FLC.
The tunnel factory is at the heart of production for the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel. Once completed, it will occupy around 1 million m² of the construction site. The intricately designed and climate-controlled halls ensure that the tunnel segments cure evenly and are of the highest quality. This is particularly important as the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel is designed to have a service life of at least 120 years.
The halls are being built by the Jutland-based company Give Steel A/S. CEO Torben Larsen travelled from the company’s headquarters in Brande to Rødbyhavn to celebrate the largest project in the company’s history.
"We are proud that this factory has been built using our steel structures and our workforce, and not least that the project is being carried out with a focus on social responsibility. For the young people who have been offered a job or an apprenticeship as part of the project, this day is not just a topping-out ceremony – it is an important milestone in their working lives,” said Torben Larsen, CEO of Give Steel.
However, there is still a long way to go before the tunnel sections, weighing 73,500 tonnes, leave the factory for the dry dock and then on to their final destination in the Fehmarn Belt.
The first of six production lines is expected to be completed by the end of the year. The lowering of the tunnel sections is set to begin next year.