Yesterday was the day: With much celebration, construction work began on the tunnel crossing the Elbe in Wewelsfleth, Schleswig-Holstein. Forming part of the SuedLink, the tunnel is a key player in the shift to non-fossil fuels in Germany. In future, green electricity will be transported in an underground cable from northern to southern Germany, making a major contribution to supplying the nation with renewable energy. The initial shaft for the roughly 5,200-meter-long tunnel beneath the Elbe will be realized in Wewelsfleth.
At the ceremony Tim Meyerjürgens, COO of TenneT TSO GmbH, Dr. Robert Habeck, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Christian Meyer, Lower Saxony’s Environment Minister, and Joschka Knuth, State Secretary for Energy in Schleswig-Holstein, pressed the symbolic red start button. Operations are expected to start in 2028.
In a joint venture with BabEng GmbH, WTM Engineers not only took over the general planning for both shafts and the tunnel but also accompanied the project from the initial ideas stage via alternative studies and approval procedures through to the tendering and awarding of the contract. The BIM method was applied for the entire planning process. We are delighted that construction work has begun and look forward to the work that lies ahead of us with the construction management and local site supervision.
Following completion of the preparatory construction measures for the initial shaft, the ground-breaking ceremony could take place.
