Sund & Bælt and Odense Port Sign Exclusive Negotiation Agreement on Future Partnership for Fehmarn Belt Facilities
An agreement on an exclusive negotiation process between Sund & Bælt and Odense Port is intended to pave the way for a partnership to develop and operate the production facilities for the Fehmarn Belt tunnel near Rødbyhavn.
Odense Port and Sund & Bælt have signed an agreement to enter an exclusive negotiation process. Under the agreement, the two publicly owned companies will explore the potential for a future partnership to develop and operate the Fehmarn Belt project’s production facilities and construction harbour near Rødbyhavn in Southern Denmark.
The production facilities were built to manufacture the tunnel elements for the Fehmarn Belt tunnel. With large, climate-controlled production halls, dry docks, storage areas, basins and a construction harbour with access to the sea, motorway, and railway network, the site offers significant potential for large-scale maritime and industrial activities. The facilities and harbour have cost more than DKK 7 billion to build, and the Danish Parliament has decided that the site must be repurposed for other uses.
“We have invested more than DKK 7 billion in building a unique production facility for the world’s largest immersed tunnel. Our task now is to ensure that the facility creates value and provides lasting employment on Lolland long after the tunnel has been completed. Odense Port is a strong commercial partner in this regard, with unique experience in the transformation of the Lindø shipyard,” says Mikkel Hemmingsen, CEO of Sund & Bælt.
For Odense Port, its experience in generating activity and growth is a key driving force. The port has a strong track record in this area, operating an active business park and industrial cluster at Lindø on Funen, facilitating more than 2,600 full-time jobs.
“When we took over the Lindø shipyard more than 10 years ago, we acquired a large industrial site with enormous potential. Today, the area is bustling with activity and jobs. We see some of the same opportunities at Rødbyhavn and look forward to working with Sund & Bælt and Lolland Municipality to explore how the facilities can create new value locally and for Odense Port, while also remaining able to deliver on major projects that are in the national interest,” says Peter Rahbæk Juel, Vice Chair of Odense Port and Mayor of Odense.
The ambition is to develop the facilities into a future-proof port facility, increase local job creation, and establish a strong national hub for industries including offshore wind.
The agreement to negotiate stems from a shared ambition to sustain local and regional economic activity and create jobs, while ensuring that Denmark maintains its leading position internationally in areas such as renewable energy, particularly offshore wind.
