Femern A/S is inviting tenders for the last of the major contracts for the construction of the Fehmarnbelt tunnel to Germany. It concerns a 25 km railway section equipped with a catenary system and with a focus on climate-friendly solutions.

The contract is being put out to tender with an expected total tender price of around DKK 1.5 billion.

The upcoming tender – known as the TTC (Tunnel Track and Catenary) contract – comprises a 200 km/h dual-track railway, as well as overhead contact lines, of which about 18 km are in the tunnel itself and about 7 km beyond it on the Danish and German sides.

The tender starts with a pre-qualification, with the objective of getting the best and most appropriate bidders on board and providing optimal competition.

Femern A/S’ tender requirements include that the tenderer must have a significant annual turnover and solvency ratio as well as documented experience in carrying out similar tasks. In addition, there are timetable expectations, fulfilment of CSR requirements and climate-friendly solutions.

"The railway is a contribution to the green transition of the transport sector, where freight and passenger traffic will have greatly improved opportunities for fast and direct travel. It is also important for us to have a construction and operational phase that is as climate neutral as possible. So, as with the other major contracts, we have a special focus on climate-friendly solutions in this tender too, including the technical solutions and choice of materials,” says Kirsten Christensen, Contract Director at Femern A/S, with responsibility for the railway installations.

Femern A/S conducted a market survey in 2022 to ensure the best possible tender. This included the industry being consulted to obtain the latest knowledge on sustainable solutions.

At the same time, it was an indication to the market to come together and create potential consortia for the task, says Kirsten Christensen.

"Based on the information that was returned during the market survey, we’re anticipating that several well-known international players will bid for the contract. We look forward to completing the tender and finding the best possible partner for this key task in the overall project", she says.

Femern A/S expects the pre-qualification to take place this summer. After that, tender negotiations will be carried out until the end of 2024, when the contract will be awarded.

The initial work on the task is expected to commence in 2025.

When the Fehmarnbelt tunnel is completed in 2029, it will be a green shortcut for the transport of freight and passengers to Europe with a journey time of seven minutes. This will avoid the current detour of approximately 160 km.

The tender: https://eu.eu-supply.com/ctm/Supplier/PublicTenders/ViewNotice/309090