Project and Region Contents

The Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link: Project and Region Contents

1 Introduction

3 The Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link 3 Background 4 Time schedule 4 A user-paid project

6 The preferred solution: an immersed tunnel 6 A safe tunnel 6 Driving experience

8 Tunnel construction 12 Production of standard elements 12 Tunnel element transport 15 Tunnel trench 16 New peninsulas 16 The Fehmarn coast 17 The Lolland coast

18 Other technical solutions 18 Cable-stayed bridge 19 Suspension bridge 19 Bored tunnel

20 Expectations for the project

22 Environment

24 The Fehmarnbelt Region 24 Delimitation of the regional area 24 Urban and rural areas 26 The region’s population 28 Politics and language 28 Economic factors 30 Labour market 31 Business and industry 32 Imports and exports 32 Changes in the traffic patterns 33 Traffic across the Fehmarnbelt 34 Tourism

36 New opportunities arising from a fixed link 36 Public attitudes to the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link 37 Now is the time! 38 Meet the players Introduction

The upgrading of the infrastructure and acces- sibility will also create opportunities for change and development in the emerging Fehmarnbelt Region – a region that stretches from Northern Germany over Denmark to Southern Sweden and is home to nine million people. New relations – economic, cultural and societal – will arise and foster new trade, tourism, jobs and Dear reader, new chances for living and working in the region. This is also what the experience from The Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link between Germany the fixed links across the Øresund and the Great and Denmark is a project of international Belt has shown. Ultimately, these projects have dimensions; its physical scale alone placing it promoted prosperity and a higher standard of in the ranks of the world’s largest infrastructure living as the new infrastructure opportunities projects. were seized by the people.

The aim of this publication is to provide informa- Many stakeholders are already committed to tion about the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link, both as forging the future of the Fehmarnbelt Region in regards the planning and technical design of the the knowledge that the fixed link will be a reality physical link and the socio-demographic facts by 2021. The commitment is local, regional, particular to the Fehmarnbelt Region. national and international, and all stakeholders are in the process of outlining their vision for The fixed link will improve the connection the future. between Central Europe and Scandinavia by means of an efficient and high quality transport The Fehmarnbelt Fixed link will bring people infrastructure. Upon completion, the link will closer together: Danes, Germans, Swedes and, provide for a direct connection between above all, Europeans. In times as today, where Copenhagen and Hamburg for rail and road Europe faces challenges, the Fehmarnbelt Fixed traffic, thereby creating new transport possibili- Link can become the cornerstone of a prosper- ties including capacity increases, greater flex- ous cross-border region that gives an encourag- ibility and time savings. At present it takes ing example how regional integration should 45 minutes by ferry between Puttgarden and function. Rødbyhavn, plus waiting time at the port. With a fixed link, however, the journey will be shortened to just seven minutes by train and approximately ten minutes by car. The journey time by train between Copenhagen and Hamburg will be reduced from the current Claus F. Baunkjær four and a half hours to around three. Managing Director Femern A/S Gothenburg SKAGERRAK

Frederikshavn

Aalborg

DENMARK

KATTEGAT SWEDEN Aarhus Elsinore Helsingborg Kristianstad

JUTLAND SCANIA Copenhagen

Malmö G r ZEALAND Ystad e Esbjerg a t Ø Trelleborg B

Ringsted r e FUNEN e l t s u n Odense d

BALTIC SEA

LOLLAND – FALSTER Flensborg Rødby Sassnitz Fehmarn belt Gedser FEHMARN Puttgarden

Heiligenhafen SCHLESWIG- HOLSTEIN Kiel

Rostock Travemünde S winoujscie Bad Schwartau

Lübeck

MECKLENBURG- WESTERN POMERANIA Bremerhaven HAMBURG

GERMANY Oldenburg BREMEN Railway LOWER SAXONY Motorway BRANDENBURG

0 25 50 100 km SAXONY- ANHALT BERLIN Wolfsburg Hannover Gothenburg SKAGERRAK The Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link Frederikshavn

Aalborg

Background The Danish State DENMARK A fixed and direct link between Scandi- The Ministry of Transport KATTEGAT navia and Central Europe has been SWEDEN an enduring vision for many decades. Aarhus This vision is now about to be realised Elsinore Helsingborg in that the link that will cross the Sund & Bælt Kristianstad approx. 19 km wide Fehmarnbelt Holding A/S between Rødbyhavn and Puttgarden is due to open to traffic in late 2021. JUTLAND SCANIA Copenhagen Germany is Scandinavia’s largest Malmö trading partner and the route across A/S Storebælt A/S Øresund Femern A/S G r ZEALAND Ystad e Esbjerg a the Fehmarnbelt is the most direct t Ø Trelleborg B

Ringsted r e rail and motorway link. FUNEN e l t s u n Odense d On 3 September 2008, the Ministers of Transport for Denmark and Germany signed a state treaty for the establish- ment of a fixed link across the Fehmarnbelt. The treaty was ratified BALTIC SEA by the Danish parliament on 26 March The Danish Planning Act of 2009 2009 to coincide with the enactment prescribes highly extensive preliminary LOLLAND – FALSTER Flensborg of the Danish Planning Act. The treaty investigations into how the fixed link Rødby was ratified by the German parliament and the associated Danish landworks Fehmar Sassnitz on 18 June 2009. will impact on factors such as the nbel Gedser t environment, navigational safety and FEHMARN Puttgarden In the state treaty Denmark and geotechnical features. Heiligenhafen Germany have agreed that Denmark SCHLESWIG- alone will be responsible for financing The company Femern A/S is responsi- Kiel HOLSTEIN the coast-to-coast project (and the ble for designing and providing the extension of the Danish landworks) basis for the official approval of the Rostock and will, therefore, be the sole owner coast-to-coast section of the Fehmarn- Travemünde S winoujscie of the fixed link. Germany, in turn, will belt Fixed Link on behalf of the Danish Bad Schwartau finance and ensure the timely develop- Ministry of Transport. Femern A/S’ Lübeck ment of the landworks on the German sister companies have planned, built side. and are now operating the fixed links MECKLENBURG- WESTERN POMERANIA across Storebælt and (the Danish part It is stipulated in the treaty that the of the) Øresund. A/S Femern Land- Bremerhaven HAMBURG link will consist of a twin-track railway anlæg is coordinating the work on and a four-lane motorway. The toll the Danish landworks which is being station for the users of the fixed link planned by the Danish Transport GERMANY will be sited on the Danish side of Authority, Banedanmark and the Oldenburg the Fehmarnbelt. Danish Road Directorate. BREMEN LOWER SAXONY

BRANDENBURG

3 SAXONY- ANHALT BERLIN Wolfsburg Hannover The Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link

Time schedule The project is expected to be The investment in the coast-to-coast Since 2008 Femern A/S has been approved in 2014-2015, and construc- link and the Danish landworks conducting intensive investigations tion to commence in the summer is expected to be recouped within on both sides of the Fehmarnbelt and of 2015. The aim is for the fixed link a period of approx. 39 years. Excluding in the Fehmarnbelt itself, i.e. on land to be completed in 2021. the landworks, the coast-to-coast link and in the marine environment, ground would be repaid within 33 years. conditions and navigational safety. Tendering itself will run in parallel with the approval process. Femern A/S will It is estimated that a Fehmarnbelt In addition, Femern A/S has investi- first pre-qualify a number of contractors Tunnel will cost EUR 5.5 billion gated various bridge and tunnel to tender for the four construction con- (2008 prices). A final project budget solutions on an equal basis. As a result tracts. The tender process will be car- calculation will be presented by of these investigations, the company ried out by a so-called competitive dia- Femern A/S for the Danish Construction recommended to the Danish Transport logue, which first obtains preliminary Act. The landworks on the Danish side Minister in November 2010 an bids from the prequalified contractors, at an estimated EUR 1.1–1.2 billion immersed tunnel as the preferred after which follows a dialogue phase. It (2008 prices) will be financed in the technical solution. In February 2011, is only after the dialogue phase is com- same way as the fixed link itself and the Danish politicians behind the plete that the contractors will submit repaid from toll revenue from the link. project followed this technical recom- binding offers with prices. The signing mendation. of the contracts is expected to take Germany is responsible for developing place in May 2015. and financing the German landworks The last years have been devoted to (railway and road) serving the coast- the detailed planning of the construc- A user-paid project to-coast link. tion project in parallel with elaboration The Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link will of an Environmental Impact Assess- be owned by Denmark and financed The Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link is ment (EIA). The final decision regarding by Danish state-guaranteed loans a priority project under the EU TEN-T the alignment and design of the pro- raised in the international financial (Trans-European Transport Network) ject will take into account the EIA. market. These loans will be repaid programme and has therefore been by the users of the fixed link. This granted substantial financial support. In Denmark, final approval of the well-proven state-guarantee model The project’s profitability calculations project will be effected by parliament’s was also used to finance the fixed assume that the TEN-subsidy will adoption of a so-called Construction links across Storebælt and Øresund. account for 10 per cent of the con Act. In Germany, approval will be struction costs during the construction granted by the competent authorities period.

The preferred solution: an immersed tunnel

In all probability, the Fehmarnbelt A safe tunnel with a powerful sprinkling system to Fixed Link will be built as a 17.6 km1 The Fehmarnbelt Tunnel will not only contain a fire until the fire brigade and immersed tunnel for combined rail be the longest but also one of the safest rescue teams arrive on site. Both roof and road traffic. and most advanced tunnels of its kind. and walls are fire-insulated. The immersed tunnel will be safer than Based on the preliminary investigations equivalent motorways or rail sections Driving experience and planning, there is every indication on land: there will be no oncoming For motorists, the fixed link under the that an immersed tunnel is the best traffic, no approaches and exits and Fehmarnbelt will be one of the world’s solution in terms of traffic, safety and no disruption as a result of bad longest road journeys through a tunnel. environmental factors. weather or darkness. Automatic Aesthetic effects, such as variations in ventilation systems will permanently lighting, will ensure that motorists trav- At a speed of 110 km per hour, this ensure good air quality and visibility elling through the approximately 18 km would offer motorists a journey time in the tunnel. long tunnel have a safe, enjoyable of approx. ten minutes through the experience. The lighting used means tunnel. For train passengers, the jour- Both road tubes will have a full emer- there will be different coloured zones ney will take seven minutes from coast gency lane, and the whole tunnel along the drive through the tunnel. to coast. When the tunnel is finished, will be constantly surveyed through With the help of the coloured zones, it will be a highly reliable solution that an extensive monitoring and traffic motorists in the Fehmarnbelt tunnel will be open all year round regardless control system, including dynamic will feel that the journey is divided into of weather conditions. signs and radio communication, to less monotonous sections with varia- keep motorists informed during their tions between them – similar to when With a length of 17.6 km the Fehmarn- journey or in the event of an accident. the scenery changes when driving on belt Fixed Link will also be the longest ordinary roads. combined rail and road tunnel to date. In the conceptual design, emergency It will be nearly five times the length exits to a safe adjacent tube are of the Øresund tunnel between Copen- located about every 100 m. Every 100 hagen and Malmö and three times the m there will be an emergency station length of the Trans-Bay Tube Bart tun- with fire-fighting equipment and a nel in San Francisco, which is currently direct telephone line to the control the world’s longest immersed tunnel. centre. The whole tunnel is equipped

1 The tunnel is shorter than the actual width of the Fehmarnbelt because artificial peninsulas will be created on both sides of the belt that will shorten the distance.

6 Coloured zones and illustrations on the walls of the road tunnel will help to give motorists a varied journey during their ten minute drive through the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel. Tunnel construction

PUTTGARDEN RØDBYHAVN

Motorway Railway

0 m 1,250 2,500 m

Proposal for tunnel alignment within the adopted corridor.

8 PUTTGARDEN RØDBYHAVN

Motorway Railway

0 m 1,250 2,500 m

Other technical solutions

In parallel with the investigation of the Cable-stayed bridge The navigation clearance of the bridge immersed tunnel project, Femern A/S As an alternative to the immersed is just over 66 m. The cable-stayed is working on a conceptual design for a tunnel, an outline proposal has been bridge design features three pylons cable-stayed bridge. An assessment of prepared for a cable-stayed bridge and 78 bridge piers in the approach the effects on the environment, naviga- where road traffic would run on the spans. tional safety, etc. must also be carried upper deck and trains on the lower out in connection with the bridge solu- deck. Most of the sections for the bridge tion as an alternative to the tunnel. would have to be constructed on shore The 17.6 km bridge will have two free at large element factories from where In addition, Femern A/S will document spans of 724 m each to permit vessel the sections will be transported out to other possible technical solutions in the traffic to pass under it. This would the bridge line for assembly. Only the form of a suspension bridge and a be the longest free span ever for major part of three pylons would have bored tunnel. The final decision on the a combined rail and road cable-stayed to be constructed in situ. technical solution will be reached dur- bridge. ing the approval process in Denmark and Germany.

18 Perspective of a suspension bridge across the Fehmarnbelt with a free span of 1,632 m.

Suspension bridge Bored tunnel Like the cable-stayed bridge, a suspen- A bored tunnel would consist of three sion bridge would carry road traffic circular tunnel tubes: one to carry on the upper level and rail traffic on the two rail tracks, and one for bi- the lower level. The suspension bridge directional road traffic. The tunnel will have a free span of 1,632 m and would be bored by a total of six tunnel navigation clearance of just over 66 m. machines. Each tunnel tube would The suspension bridge design features be excavated by two machines drilling two pylons and 71 bridge piers in the from each side and meeting in the approach spans. All sections of the middle. The tunnel tubes would be bridge except for the pylons would lined with a total of 330,000 steel be manufactured on shore and trans- or concrete elements manufactured ported out to the bridge line for on shore. The rail tunnel would have assembly. an outer diameter of approx. 16.7 m, the two road tunnels of approx. 15.7 m each. expectations for the project

The overall economics of the Fehmarn- Experience from Great Belt and The European Commission supports belt project depend on a variety of fac- Øresund shows that traffic grows sig- the project financially quite signifi- tors, including traffic growth, financing nificantly when a fixed link replaces a cantly, since the Fehmarnbelt Fixed costs and the possibility of TEN fund- ferry service. This is due to the new Link is a priority project for the overall ing from the EU. opportunities that emerge as a result of European transport network. the time savings, increased flexibility The Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link is and greater availability. On Øresund The project will provide a significant expected to open in late 2021 and the and Great Belt, traffic rose by 61 and boost to rail traffic, particularly freight, project assumes a financial payback 127 per cent respectively in the first on railways across Europe. Therefore, period of 39 years. These assumptions few years after opening. This is the so- within the current funding rules, the imply that the link will be repaid called traffic jump. Fehmarnbelt project is eligible to a around 2060. Therefore, the economics subsidy of up to 30 per cent of the of the link have been assessed in rela- On the Fehmarnbelt, the traffic jump is construction costs. For reasons of pru- tion to its long-term prospects. projected to be 40 per cent. It is also dence in the financial calculations, assumed that the traffic jump will only Femern A/S has assumed a subsidy of In the financial projections for the Feh- be realised gradually over four years. just 10 per cent of the construction marnbelt Fixed Link, Femern A/S has The economics of the Fehmarnbelt costs. assumed that traffic growth will be 1.7 project are not only dependent on traf- per cent annually on average over the fic figures. They also depend very At the end of 2014, and in advance of first 25 years of the link’s lifetime. This much on interest rates, i.e. the financ- the Construction Act, Femern A/S will corresponds to about half of the actual ing costs since the project is funded by present a comprehensive updated average growth over the past 40 years. loans. The calculations for a fixed link assessment of the project’s economics For precautionary reasons, Femern A/S across the Fehmarnbelt are based on based on the latest thoroughly also projects zero growth in traffic after an assumed real rate of 3.5 per cent researched traffic forecasts and interest that first 25 years and on into the per year. rate assumptions etc. future.

Environment

For Femern A/S, it is important that the As part of the approval of the project, ject for an immersed tunnel has been fixed link’s impact on the environment a so-called Environmental Impact continuously adjusted and improved to both during construction and opera- Assessment (EIA) will be conducted. minimise negative environmental tional phases is kept to a minimum. impacts. In 2013, all the studies and a The project will have a temporary For this EIA, Femern A/S conducted detailed description of the technical impact during construction, but the fin- an environmental investigation project were collected as parts of the ished tunnel will be dug into the sea- programme in 2009 and 2010, under Danish EIA report and the German plan bed and will therefore not have any which data was collected within approval application respectively. Both major long-term impacts on the envi- a number of different areas: hydro applications run to several thousand ronment. graphy, marine biology, fish, birds, pages. marine mammals, terrestrial flora A number of provisions and require- and fauna, and archaeology. Provisional estimates are that a bridge ments for the design and construction would have slightly larger permanent of the facility make it possible for All data will be used as a basis environmental effects than an Femern A/S to ensure that negative for the environmental assessment immersed tunnel. When the tunnel is environmental impacts are avoided or of the immersed tunnel, which is the built, it will be covered with a protec- minimised. This is also achieved by preferred technical solution, and tive layer of stone, so that the top Femern A/S including precise environ- of the cable-stayed bridge, which is edge lies just underneath the level of mental requirements into the contracts the preferred alternative. In addition, the existing seabed. This will create with the major contractors. the two alternative solutions of suspen- new opportunities for flora and fauna sion bridge and bored tunnel will and eventually restore the natural con- Moreover, the positive experience be investigated to the extent deemed ditions on the seabed. gained from the construction of necessary pursuant to prevailing the fixed links across Storebælt and EU rules as well as rules in Denmark The final assessments of impacts on the Øresund will also be used to further and Germany. environment will be set out in an EIA optimise the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link report which is due to be submitted project. On those occasions, it proved The extensive environmental studies for consultation in Denmark. This also possible to minimise environmental have been analysed and the possible forms part of the plan approval docu- conflicts or even to avoid them through environmental impacts assessed from ments in Germany. careful and diligent planning and 2011 through to 2013. During this execution of works. time, the design of the technical pro-

The Fehmarnbelt Region

Delimitation of the regional area Urban and rural areas The ’Fehmarnbelt Region’ is as yet The Fehmarnbelt Region comprises an imprecisely defined entity, but many a number of key cities, towns and stakeholders have expressed their seaports, including Germany’s second- interest in cross-border cooperation. largest city, Hamburg, Denmark’s In this brochure, the ’Fehmarnbelt largest city and capital, Copenhagen, Region’ is delimited geographically and Sweden’s third-largest city, Malmö. to comprise Region Scania in Southern Other key cities are Kiel, Lübeck and Sweden, Region Zealand and the Rostock on the German Baltic coast Capital Region of Denmark in East and Helsingborg in north-west Scania, Denmark together with Northern Sweden. Germany as represented by Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein and districts in the The region spans a range of communi- north-western part of Mecklenburg- ties from densely populated urban Western Pomerania (Rostock, Wismar, areas to sparsely populated rural Bad Doberan, Güstrow and Nordwest districts. The immediate periphery Mecklenburg). of the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link is relatively sparsely populated compared The Fehmarnbelt Region thus covers to other parts of the region. On one three countries, including six different side of the belt in Lolland Municipality, sub-regions and 79 municipalities there are only 52 inhabitants per in Sweden and Denmark as well as square kilometre, while on the other 21 districts in Germany. side, in Kreis Ostholstein, there are 146 inhabitants per square kilometre. The Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link will be For comparison, there are 2,373 fringed by communities such as Kreis inhabitants per square kilometre Ostholstein in Germany and the in Hamburg. municipalities of Lolland and Guld- borgsund in Denmark.

24 DENMARK SWEDEN KATTEGAT

JUTLAND SCANIA Copenhagen G r e a t Malmö ZEALAND B e

Ø l FUNEN t r e s Ringsted u n d BORNHOLM

BALTIC SEA

LOLLAND – FALSTER Flensborg Rødby Fehmarnbelt Gedser FEHMARN Puttgarden

SCHLESWIG- Kiel HOLSTEIN

Travemünde Rostock Lübeck

MECKLENBURG- WESTERN POMERANIA HAMBURG

BREMEN GERMANY POLAND

BRANDENBURG

LOWER SAXONY SAXONY- ANHALT BERLIN 0 25 50 100 km The Fehmarnbelt Region

The region’s population of persons aged 65 and above is tion nationwide, with the population In 2012, the region around the expected to rise in the Danish and in 2050 at between 68.5 and 75 million Fehmarnbelt had a population of 9 German parts of the region. In Denmark compared to a population of 82 million: 5.2 million inhabitants on the and Germany, demographic changes million currently. Both the Danish and German side, 2.5 million on the Danish are expected to result in a far higher Swedish populations are projected side and 1.3 million on the Swedish proportion of the population in 2040 to grow over the years ahead. side. being aged 65 and above in relation to the present figure. The Swedish part Changes in the composition of the The immediate vicinity of the Fehmarn- of the region does not, however, show population will mainly affect rural belt Fixed Link, which includes the the same tendency. The high propor- areas and sparsely populated districts municipalities of Lolland and Guld- tion of elderly citizens in the region’s in the region. In these areas, the aver- borgsund on the Danish side and Danish and German parts may influ- age age will generally be higher than Kreis Ostholstein on the German side, ence the labour market, as a higher in urban areas such as Hamburg and has approx. 300,000 inhabitants, proportion of retirement-aged citizens Copenhagen2. Generally in Germany, corresponding to 3.6 per cent of the means fewer hands to work and more the rural areas are also where the region’s inhabitants. mouths to feed. largest reduction in the population will be seen. The composition of the population In Germany, age composition is not the may prove to be one of the challenges only challenge ahead. Forecasts point 2 Exploring the Baltic Sea Region – on territorial for the future, since the proportion to a general reduction in the popula- capital and spatial integration, Nordregio 2008

Population 2012

Number of persons (1,000)

Scania

Mecklenburg- Western Pomerania

Hamburg

Schleswig- Holstein

Region Zealand

Copenhagen

0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000

Source: Eurostat and Statistics Denmark

26 Age distribution in 2009 and projection for the regions

Per cent 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 2009 2040 2009 2040 2009 2040 2009 2040 2009 2040 2009 2040 Copenhagen Region Schleswig- Hamburg Mecklenburg- Scania Zealand Holstein Western Pomerania

0-19 20-64 65 and above

Source: Statistics Denmark, Statistics Sweden, forecast from Region Scania, Statistisches Bundesamt Deutschland

27 The Fehmarnbelt Region

Politics and language Economic factors Measured in terms of gross product, Political conditions in the region The economic situation varies in economic power is centred around not only reflect the different political different parts of the region. Those the major conurbations, which is also systems of three countries, but also parts that include the biggest cities, where the majority of production different political entities at federal Copenhagen and Hamburg, have the sites are located. This is especially state and regional levels. In Germany highest gross regional product, while true of Hamburg and Copenhagen. especially, the three federal states the north western part of Mecklenburg- The more rural areas of Northern enjoy extensive autonomy, including Western Pomerania and Region Germany and Region Scania contain their own, if limited, tax revenue. Zealand have the lowest, but are also the areas with the lowest gross product The federal states in Germany have the areas with the smallest number per employed person in the region. far-ranging powers in areas such of inhabitants. Swedish Region Scania This type of computation pinpoints as culture, education, health services also has a low gross regional product where affluence is generated in the and police3. compared to Hamburg and the Capital Fehmarnbelt Region. Region of Denmark. The latter’s higher The three national languages are gross product is attributable to the Danish, Swedish and German. Whereas area’s status as Denmark’s largest Danish and Swedish are fairly similar, production centre and the fact that it may be more difficult for a German a workforce of almost 50,000 commutes to understand Danish or Swedish and daily to the region from other parts vice versa. Many Danes and Swedes, of Zealand. however, learn German at school as a second or third language.

3 www.ambberlin.um.dk

Gross regional product 2010

Million Euro

Hamburg

Copenhagen

Schleswig-Holstein

Scania

Region Zealand

Mecklenburg- Western Pomerania

0 20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000 100,000

Source: Eurostat

The Fehmarnbelt Region

Labour market The unemployment rate in the Feh- marnbelt Region varies geographically, but has also changed in recent years. Previously, the Danish part of the region had the lowest unemployment as a percentage of the labour force. The financial crisis over the past few years has led to rising unemployment in Denmark. Today, the lowest unemployment rates are in the two German states, Hamburg and Schleswig-Hol- stein where 5.4 and 5.9 per cent respectively were unemployed in 2011. The unemployment rate was over 7 per cent in Copenhagen and Region Zea- land. The north western part Mecklen- burg-Vorpommern was the area of the region with the highest unemployment rates in 2011.

Unemployment as a percentage of the workforce 2011

Per cent

Copenhagen

Region Zealand

Schleswig-Holstein

Hamburg

Mecklenburg- Western Pomerania

Scania

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

Source: Eurostat

30 Business and industry 39 per cent of the employed in The Fehmarnbelt Region is char Region Zealand work in public and acterised by the fact that most private services, in Hamburg this of the workforce are employed proportion amounts to only 29 per cent. in the service and information sectors. Hamburg and the Greater Copenhagen Industry, agriculture and forestry are area, on the other hand, have a signifi- less predominant. The largest group cantly higher proportion of employees – 34 per cent of all employees – in finance and business services than is employed in public and private elsewhere in the Fehmarnbelt Region, services such as education, health, accounting for just over 20 per cent of public administration, defence and the active workforce. In Region Zealand other administrative and support this group comprises only 12 per cent. services. A full 27 per cent work in the restaurant, hotel, trade and transport industries. However, these figures cover interregional differences.

Number of employees in business & industry

1,000

Restaurant, hotel, trade and transport industries

Finance and business services

Public and private services

Manufacturing

0 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600

1996 2007

Source: Ørestat, Statistisches Bundesamt Deutschland

31 The Fehmarnbelt Region

Imports and exports Changes in the traffic patterns Trade between the three countries There are many different routes from in the region is already extensive: Scandinavia to the continent – by Germany is Sweden’s and Denmark’s sea, air, land and across bridges. The largest trading partner in both imports Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link, however, will and exports. Denmark and Sweden be a direct and land-based connection are somewhat further down the list of between Scandinavia, the Øresund Germany’s trading partners, although Region and the European continent. both are still in the top 20 list of countries with which Germany trades Once completed, the fixed link across the most. the Fehmarnbelt will shorten the rail and road distance between Scandina- Schleswig-Holstein is the state in via and the continent by approx. the region that has the highest level 160 kilometres compared to the of trade with Denmark. In 2012, total current connection via Storebælt and imports-exports between Schleswig- the Danish-German border. This will Holstein and Denmark amounted open up a range of new opportunities to EUR 4.4 billion. Schleswig-Holstein for faster and more convenient trans- is also the region that has the largest port between a number of destinations trade with Sweden although total within the borders of the Fehmarnbelt imports-exports are not quite Region. as high-volume as with Denmark.

Imports and exports from the German states from and to Denmark and Sweden 2012

1,000,000 EUR 3,000

2,500

2,000

1,500

1,000

500

0 DK SE DK SE DK SE Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

Export Import

Source: Statistisches Bundesamt

32 Traffic across the Fehmarnbelt Apart from one year, traffic between Part of the growth in traffic on the ferry Many vehicles and several trains Rødbyhavn and Puttgarden increased services between Denmark and Ger- are already crossing the belt today: steadily from the late 1990s to 2007. many can be attributed to the opening in 2012, average daily traffic on the Furthermore, the Gedser-Rostock ferry of the fixed link across Øresund in Rødby-Puttgarden ferries amounted service and those from Trelleborg to 2000. The opening of this link has led to 850 rail passengers (2011 numbers) Germany experienced an increased to a change in traffic patterns, and thus and 5,331 vehicles per day. These fig- number of vehicles on their routes. has generated more traffic across the ures are forecast to rise as the opening Since 2007 and the financial crisis, traf- Fehmarnbelt. of the fixed link approaches. fic on the Rødby-Puttgarden route has been falling. Over the lengthy period from 1970 to The main source of traffic across the 2012, traffic growth on the Rødby-Putt- belt is cars. In 2012, car traffic between From 2000 to 2012, passenger traffic garden ferry route has been 3.4 per Rødbyhavn and Puttgarden accounted on the crossing increased by approxi- cent a year on average. This is even for 80 per cent of the total traffic; mately 31 per cent. This corresponds when you include the negative trend freight traffic accounted for just under to an average annual growth of around during the financial crisis of recent 19 per cent and coach traffic only just 2.5 per cent. Freight traffic has years. under one per cent. The same trend increased by 32 per cent, while coach applies to the distribution of traffic on traffic has seen a drop of 7 per cent. Traffic between Rødbyhavn and Putt- the Gedser-Rostock ferry services, garden is affected by the economic sit- whereas the proportion of freight traffic uation, so it is clear that, since 1970, predominates on the routes between there have been both good and bad Trelleborg in Sweden and Germany. years in the business cycle. This will probably remain so in the future.

Distribution of daily traffic on the ferry routes 2012

Per cent

Rødby-Puttgarden

Gedser-Rostock

Trelleborg routes

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Cars Lorries Coaches

33 Tourism conviction that the construction The Fehmarnbelt Region is an impor- of the fixed link will become a tourist tant tourist destination. In Ostholstein attraction. on the German side of the fixed link, tourism is a major economic factor When in operation, the fixed link will and one of the main sources of income. offer a wide range of opportunities Therefore the planning and construc- for tourism and lead to more exchange tion of the link will be carried out between the German and Danish sides in a way that will limit any negative of Fehmarnbelt. In the survey men- impact on tourism to the lowest tioned above, a large majority of the possible extent. polled Northern Germans (79 per cent) and Danes (81 per cent) agreed that Moreover, during the construction the fixed link will boost tourism. phase, there will be opportunities to attract tourists to the construction site An earlier analysis also shows that the of the world’s largest immersed tunnel. two populations are positively dis- In a representative survey undertaken posed to their neighbouring country as by Epinion on behalf of Femern A/S in a travel destination. Potential future 2013, around one half of the respond- tourists, therefore, will be encouraged ents (50 per cent in Denmark and 47 by the construction of a fixed link. per cent in Germany) stated their

Effects on tourism

To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The link will enhance tourism between Germany and Denmark Per cent

2009

2010

2011

DENMARK 2012

2013

2009

2010

2011

GERMANY 2012

2013

0 20 40 60 80 100

Source: EpinionStrongly and TNS agree Infratest for FemernAgree A/S Disagree Don’t know

New opportunities arising from a fixed link

The Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link is one of Public attitudes to the Since 2009, Femern A/S has been the largest investments in infrastructure Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link conducting annual representative in Northern Europe. It constitutes The Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link has been opinion polls on the project among the third phase in the integration approved, but not without criticism the Danish and North German public. of Scandinavia with the rest of the from various groups and interest Up to 2013, the trend in both countries European continent. The first phase organisations. Whereas detractors has been for an increasing number was the Storebælt link; the second on the Danish side of the belt have of inhabitants in the region to take phase was the Øresund bridge. been relatively muted in their criticism a generally positive view of a fixed link With the treaty between Germany of the forthcoming link, opposition between the two countries. On the and Denmark for the construction on the German side has been more German side, more than one in three is of the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link, the two vociferous. positive, while two in ten are opposed nations took a decision that will not to the project. In Denmark half are only improve infrastructure and journey Similar discussions as are now happen- positive and fewer than two out of times, but offers the potential for ing in Germany took place in Denmark ten are opposed. new economic, cultural and societal during the planning and construction development in districts, regions and of the first two links across Storebælt countries around the link. With the and Øresund. The positive experiences Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link, one of the with these links in Denmark led to very world’s pioneering large-scale projects broad public acceptance and a very will be complete. “The missing positive attitude towards the Fehmarn- Scandinavian link” will no longer belt project in Denmark from the start. be “missing”.

Attitudes to the project Per cent

2009

2010

2011

2012 DENMARK

2013

2009

2010

2011

GERMANY 2012

2013

0 20 40 60 80 100

Very positive Positive Neutral Negative Very negative Don’t know

Source: Epinion and TNS Infratest for Femern A/S

36 Now is the time! until just a few years before the The experience from the links across It can take up to a decade to establish bridge opened in 2000. Indeed not Storebælt and Øresund has clearly close regional integration and cross- until its tenth anniversary in 2010 could shown, however, that regional stake- border cooperation. This is the Danish- any claim be made that the region was holders should embark on integration Swedish experience from the Øresund actually integrated and had its own activities well before the opening of link between Copenhagen and Malmö identity. a new link. They should also learn more which has become a major success. about potential opportunities “on the In 2011, about 18,000 people com- It now lies in the hands of the various other side” and prepare themselves muted to work on the other side stakeholders in the Fehmarnbelt accordingly. Only then can they benefit of the Øresund. From 2000 to 2008, Region from politics, business and from the link’s potential right from the the flow of commuters between the civil society to make good use of start. two cities increased at a rate of 20 to the great potential the link offers 40 per cent per annum. for regional development. Many of Many players, however, are already the local distinctions within the cross- in full swing around eight years before This reflects the fact that the labour border region analysed above, e.g. the opening. If this development markets have an integrating effect, in terms of demographic development continues and gains momentum, i.e.they remove barriers, that busi- and workforce requirements, can expectations are that integration and nesses identify markets and customers be used as a basis for creating growth growth will happen at a faster rate than on the other side and therefore opportunities. As a general rule, devel- in the Øresund Region. concentrate their activity on one opment normally arises from differ- side in order to serve the entire region. ences rather than from similarities. In the Øresund Region, integration efforts did not get fully underway

37 Meet the players

A fixed link across the Fehmarnbelt Politics and administration Ministry of Economic Affairs, Employ- and the creation of a new Fehmarnbelt ment, Transport and Technology Region have been placed high on Ministry of Transport, www.schleswig-holstein.de/MWV Denmark www.trm.dk the political agenda in Denmark and The government of the federal state of Northern Germany for some time. The Ministry of Transport has overall political Schleswig-Holstein in Germany, and in parti Consequently, a large number of differ- responsibility for the planning, construction, cular the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Employ- ent stakeholders from politics, business operation and maintenance of the infrastruc- ment, Transport and Technology, have initiated a number of alliances with regional and private- and civil society are involved in these ture in Denmark. The Minister of Transport is the sole shareholder in the government- sector partners, the object of which is to make endeavours. The following is a selec- owned company, Sund & Bælt Holding A/S, the most of the new opportunities presented tion of some of the main actors in this whose subsidiary Femern A/S is responsible by a fixed link; not least in tourism – one of context. for planning and designing the fixed link across Ostholstein’s key sectors. the Fehmarnbelt. For more information about the project Ostholstein County, Germany and the region please visit our website: Ministry of Housing, Urban and Rural www.kreis-oh.de Affairs www.mbbl.dk www.femern.com As the fixed link will be located in Ostholstein, The Ministry is in charge of an inter-ministerial the county will be directly affected. Ostholstein committee to assist all stakeholders who, it is is, therefore, intensively involved in the con- hoped, will benefit from the new link to Ger- struction project and is working to promote many, and also helps to address current and cross-border alliances in the form of projects potential challenges. and initiatives.

Region Zealand, Denmark City of Fehmarn, Germany www.regionsjaelland.dk www.stadtfehmarn.de

Region Zealand, which includes the island The island of Fehmarn will be directly affected of Lolland as the closest to the fixed link, plays by the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link and has been a key role as ”bridge builder” in the general involved in the project and its potential impacts regional development process. In networks on – and opportunities for – the island for consisting of many private and public partners, many years. Region Zealand is working to put the entire region on the map as a good place to live, work, explore and gain an education. Information about the landworks Lolland Municipality, Denmark www.lolland.dk Banedanmark www.bane.dk

Lolland Municipality is directly affected The Project Development division of the by the fixed link project and has drawn up Danish state-owned enterprise Banedanmark its own strategy for future developments. is responsible for planning rail infrastructure in Denmark and will be undertaking the initial Federal Ministry of Transport project design and basic investigations prior Building and Urban Affairs, Germany to future construction projects. This also includes liaising with authorities, public www.bmvbs.de relations and the preparation of materials The German Federal Ministry of Transport, ahead of a political review. Building and Urban Affairs is responsible for implementing the stipulations of the state Danish Road Directorate treaty on the German side. The practical www.vejdirektoratet.dk planning and realisation of the extension of the German landworks is the responsibility The Danish Road Directorate has direct of Deutsche Bahn (railway) and Landesbetrieb responsibility for planning, project design, Straßenbau und Verkehr – Lübeck (road). construction as well as operation and main tenance of the national road network.

38 Deutsche Bahn Hansebelt www.hansebelt.de KulturLINK www.kulturlink.org www.deutschebahn.com Hansebelt is composed of companies from The KulturLINK Fehmarnbelt project aims to Deutsche Bahn AG is responsible for project the region between Hamburg and the strengthen cultural cooperation in the region. design and construction of the German rail Fehmarnbelt. Its object is to jointly stimulate Through joint cultural activities and projects, links to the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link. Their economic growth within the region. psychological barriers are broken down and website provides detailed information about the regional identity can grow. the project. Fehmarnbelt portal www.fehmarnbelt-portal.de Fehmarnbelt Days Landesbetrieb Straßenbau und www.fehmarnbeltdays.com The Fehmarnbelt Portal is an initiative by Verkehr Schleswig-Holstein, the Fehmarnbelt agency Kreis Ostholstein Fehmarnbelt Days took place in Hamburg and Niederlassung Lübeck www.lbv-sh.de and the Femern Belt Development foundation. Lübeck between 26 and 28 September 2012 The website provides information about the and was run jointly by a number of organisa- Landesbetrieb Straßenbau und Verkehr Fehmarnbelt Region. tions in the Fehmarnbelt Region. Another Feh- Schleswig-Holstein, Niederlassung Lübeck, marnbelt Days is planned for 2014. is responsible for the planning and project design of the road network for the landworks Destination Fehmarnbelt infrastructure. www.destination-fehmarnbelt.com Other participants Destination Fehmarnbelt was formed as a result of the EU-INTERREG project which Aktionsbündnis gegen eine Cooperation and initiatives provides financial support for the cross-border in the Fehmarnbelt Region development of the Fehmarnbelt region as feste Fehmarnbeltquerung a German-Danish destination for holiday and www.beltquerung.info business tourists. Ostsee-Holstein-Tourismus STRING network Aktionsbündnis, which is campaigning e.V. and Østdansk Turisme are the lead project against a fixed link across the Fehmarnbelt, www.stringnetwork.org partners. has been involved with the Fehmarnbelt The regions of Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, project for many years. Zealand, the Capital Region Copenhagen, City BeltLogistics www.beltlogistics.dk of Copenhagen and Scania have joined together in the STRING partnership with a view BeltLogistics sets up cross-border collabora- NABU Wallnau to strengthening cooperation in the region. tions between associations, knowledge and www.nabu-wallnau.de (STRING stands for Southwest Baltic Sea Trans- research institutions and public authorities, The NABU Wallnau website reports Regional Area – Inventing New Geography) which have interests in the transport and logis- on the project. The cross-border project “Building Tourism” tics sector. The project works mainly towards operates under the STRING partnership. building networks between logistics stakeholders in the Fehmarnbelt Region. Fehmarnbelt Business Council www.de.fbbc.eu BELTFOOD www.beltfood.org The German-Danish initiative, BELTFOOD, was Fehmarnbelt Business Council is an alliance launched to support and build cooperation in of business entities from Germany, Denmark the food industry across the Fehmarnbelt and Sweden. Their aim is to promote cross- Region while increasing and strengthening its border cooperation in the Fehmarnbelt Region. competitiveness.

Femern Belt Development BeltTrade www.belttrade.dk www.femern.info The Danish-German project “BeltTrade” will The Femern Belt Development foundation work to strengthen small and medium-sized is a development company that publicises enterprises (SMEs) on both sides of the belt knowledge and information about the business through skills development and cross-border and tourism opportunities that the Fehmarn- networking. The project aims to exploit the belt Fixed Link will offer Region Zealand. opportunities for growth that arise during the construction of the fixed link.

This publication was compiled by Femern A/S.

Femern A/S is responsible for the planning of the Fehmarnbelt coast-to-coast link.

Please direct any queries concerning this publication to:

Femern A/S Vester Søgade 10 1601 Copenhagen V Denmark Tel. +45 33 41 63 00 [email protected] www.facebook.com/femern www.femern.com

Published by Femern A/S 2. edition, June 2013 Design BGRAPHIC, ICONO Photo Miklos Szabo, Jan Kofod Winther, Rune Frederiksen, Colourbox, Istock Illustrations Femern A/S, BGRAPHIC, ICONO Print Arco Grafisk ISBN 978-87-92416-23-0

Reservations: The alignment and technical solutions for the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link’s coast- to-coast facility have not been finally decided. Femern A/S is proposing the current concept of a tunnel solution with an alignment east of Puttgarden and Rødbyhavn as the one that best meets the various criteria. The final choice of solution will depend on factors such as the forthcoming environmental impact assessment and will not be made until a construction act has been enacted in Denmark and the final German construction permit has been granted.

The sole responsibility of this publication lies with the author. The European Union is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein. www.femern.com www.facebook.com/femern