Femern A/S is now putting the last of the major contracts on the Fehmarn project out for tender, a railway section totalling 25 kilometers equipped with catenary systems 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, announces Femern A/S.
The upcoming tender – called the TTC contract (Tunnel Track and Catenary) – includes a two-track railway built for 200 km/h as well as overhead contact lines, of which approx. 18 kilometers are in the tunnel itself and approx. 7 kilometers are located outside the tunnel on the Danish and German sides.
Begins with pre-qualification
The tender begins with a prequalification to attract the most suitable bidders and optimise competition.
In the tender, Femern A/S requires, among other things, that the bidders must have a significant annual turnover and solvency ratio as well as documented experience in carrying out similar tasks. In addition, there are expectations regarding timetables, fulfillment of CSR requirements and climate-friendly solutions.
Contribution to the green transition
"The railway is a contribution to the green transformation of the transport sector, where freight and passenger transport will have greatly improved opportunities for fast and direct transport. For us, it is also important to have a construction and operation phase that is as climate-neutral as possible. So, just like in the other large contracts, in this tender we also have a special focus on climate-friendly solutions, including the technical solutions and choice of materials," says Kirsten Christensen, Contract Director at Femern A/S with responsibility for the railway installations.
Expecting international players
In order to ensure the best possible tender, Femern A/S carried out a market survey in 2022, where, among other things, the industry was consulted to obtain the latest know-how in sustainable solutions.
At the same time, it was a signal to the market to possibly come together and form potential consortia for the task, says Kirsten Christensen.
"Based on the statements that came back during the market survey, we expect that several of the well-known international players will bid for the contract. We look forward to finalising the tender and finding the best possible partner for this very central task in the overall project," says Kirsten Christensen.
The work is expected to start in 2025
Femern A/S expects the pre-qualification to take place this summer. After that, a tender will be carried out with negotiations until the end of 2024, when the contract will be awarded.
The preparatory work is then expected to start in 2025.
When the tunnel with electrified railway is completed in 2029, it will be a green shortcut for the transport of goods and passengers by train to Europe with a journey time of seven minutes and a saved detour of approx. 160 kilometers compared to today.
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