Posts Tagged ‘Germany’
The first element of the Fehmarnbelt tunnel successfully immersed
After a multi-day operation, the first of a total of 89 concrete elements for the Fehmarnbelt tunnel is now in place on the seabed. The historic event began late on Monday evening, 4 May 2026. Five tugboats and the special immersion vessel IVY transported the tunnel element from the tunnel factory at Rødbyhavn on the Danish island of Lolland to the immersion point off the Danish coast.
Around noon on Wednesday, the immersion itself began. Approximately 14 hours later, the dedicated position in the Fehmarnbelt had been reached, and the first tunnel element had been positioned precisely in the tunnel trench in front of the Danish tunnel portal. Subsequently, the element was connected to the portal using hydraulic arms. The position was then finally confirmed by precise laser measurements inside the immersed tunnel element. Later in the day, IVY will then be released from the element.
Read full announcement (external link)
Originally published on 7 May
Read MoreFirst tunnel element of the Fehmarnbelt tunnel to be immersed
The first of the 89 concrete elements that will make up the future Fehmarnbelt tunnel between Denmark and Germany is now on its way to the immersion point off the coast near Rødbyhavn on the Danish island of Lolland.
The 217-metre-long and 73,500-tonne concrete element left the work harbour of the tunnel factory at 9 pm on 4 May 2026. In preparation of the immersion, the contractors added a further 4,500 tonnes of ballast concrete to ensure the element is heavy enough to sink to the seabed. Now the just over two-kilometre journey to the immersion point off the future tunnel portal has just begun.
Read full announcement (external link)
Originally published on 4 May
Read MoreHYBOR hydrogen pipeline: Ground investigations and mapping begin
The scoping process for the planned HYBOR hydrogen pipeline has begun in all affected federal states – Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony and Thuringia. In this early stage of the process, the scope of the investigations for further environmental assessments is being defined in collaboration with the relevant authorities and public interest groups. This lays the groundwork for the subsequent environmental impact assessment and the planning approval process.
Preparatory investigations have been underway along the planned route since the end of 2025. These include environmental mapping of flora and fauna as well as ground investigations. The aim is to assess local conditions at an early stage and to align further planning responsibly with natural and site-specific conditions.
Read full announcement (external link)
Originally published on 21 Apr
Read MoreDigital innovations for the future of ports featured at the German-Latvian Port Days
On April 15, in the framework of the German-Latvian Port Days in Hamburg, the Maritime Digital Innovation Demo Day took place, where innovative solutions – digital and autonomous technologies for port efficiency, safety and security – jointly created by Latvian and German partners were presented.
“What started with a visit and a signature is now becoming visible and tangible: this Demo Day shows how the partnership transforms into practical solutions. Hamburg and Riga combine technological excellence with a clear ambition to make our ports smarter, more efficient and future-ready. This is not about discussing innovations, but about implementing them together. In particularly challenging times, one thing is clear: those who work together move forward. Our partnership sends a powerful signal to the Baltic Sea region and to a strong, united Europe,” said Dr Melanie Leonhard, Minister for Economic Affairs, Labor, and Innovation of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.
Read full announcement (external link)
Originally published on 16 Apr
Read MoreImmersion pontoon IVY passes final test and receives approval
The immersion pontoon IVY has passed its final tests and is now approved by the Danish Maritime Authority. Therefore, the contractor Femern Link Contractors (FLC) can begin preparing to immerse the first tunnel element into the dredged tunnel trench off Lolland’s coast this spring.
The special vessel IVY is comprised of two distinct units: IVY 1 & 2. Prior to the transportation and immersion of a 217-metre-long standard tunnel element, each end is securely attached to IVY 1 & 2, which provide buoyancy. For the handling of the 39-metre-long special elements, IVY 1 & 2 are joined to form a single vessel, facilitating the immersion process. Together, IVY 1 & 2 are equipped with 23 kilometres of steel wire spread over 66 winches, enabling them to submerge tunnel elements to depths of up to 40 metres with exceptional precision.
Read full announcement (external link)
Originally published on 3 Apr
Read MoreOpen arms Nato’s Baltic members agree to open their borders in the event of an emergency
The eight Nato countries bordering the Baltic Sea, together with Iceland and Norway, have pledged to open their borders to each other’s citizens should they be forced to flee in the event of a disaster. The agreement is an extension of a patchwork of arrangements among some of the countries in the region and will make it possible to co-ordinate responses and establish uniform procedures for doing so.
The bear not in the room is Russia. The Kremlin has repeatedly said that it does not intend to invade Nato countries, but western intelligence agencies have advised their governments to be ready for everything from small-scale shenanigans to an outright invasion. Military collaboration has long been a way to signal to their populations that they are doing what they can to prevent such things from happening. Now, civil-defence agencies are showing they will be taken care of in the event they do.
RELATED ARTICLE } Swedes preparing to receive Bornholm refugees
Read MoreContractor tests special vessel for immersion of tunnel elements
At present, the contractor consortium Femern Link Contractors (FLC) is testing the special vessel that will immerse the tunnel elements for the Fehmarnbelt tunnel. Over the weekend, the unique immersion pontoon IVY 1 & 2 carried out the first test of connecting the vessel to a completed tunnel element.
The immersion pontoons are currently located in the large Danish work harbour on Lolland, with the first tunnel element secured between the two units. The initial phase of testing has already been successfully completed and includes, among other things, confirming that all functions operate correctly – both when IVY 1 & 2 are operated separately holding a standard element secured in between, and when they are operated as a combined vessel.
Read full announcement (external link)
Originally published on 3 Mar
Read MoreCollaboration towards accelerating European hydrogen economy progresses – Finland and Germany sign Joint Declaration of Intent on enhancing hydrogen economy collaboration
Hydrogen Cluster Finland welcomes further progress in bilateral relations between Finland and Germany, and the signing of a Joint Declaration of Intent on hydrogen economy collaboration between the two countries, signed by Germany’s Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Katherina Reiche and Minister of Climate and Environment Sari Multala on Wednesday.
The Joint Declaration presents Finland and Germany’s shared vision for cooperation on hydrogen infrastructure, hydrogen technology development, and investments in the sector. The Declaration is a strong signal of the need for cross border collaboration to secure investments in the hydrogen economy. Hydrogen economy value chains are never local – they are always international and therefore benefits of investments are shared across companies, countries and geographies.
Read full announcement (external link)
Originally published on 19 Feb
Read MoreKeeping up with the Nordics Baltics staying the course against corruption
When it comes to corruption rankings, there are the Nordics and then there is everyone else. Again this year, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden ended in a log jam at the top of the Corruption Perceptions Index, an annual ranking of perceived corruption in the public sector. Germany rounded out the top 10. The Baltic states (Estonia: 12; Lithuania: 28th; Latvia: 37) are showing that despite some setbacks (including the resignation of Lithuania’s prime minister last year amid a corruption scandal), that they, too, take corruption seriously.
Transparency International, which has produced the report each year since 1995, cautions against easing up against corruption, even in the Nordic countries, but, in the Baltic region, the trends at least are with them: countries with the best records are generally democratic and highly digitalised.
That will show the path for Poland (52). To be sure, it has shown improvement since PiS, an illiberal regime that dismembered the country’s civil-society infrastructure, was voted out of office in 2023, and it finds itself solidly in the top third of the table. Progress, though, has been modest, due to what has been deemed insufficient efforts to undo the damage done by PiS. Russia (157) finished level with Chad, Honduras and Zimbabwe. An outlier in a sea of outliers.
Read More”Offshore Power Plant” Baltic Sea significantly increases power generation
The offshore wind farms in the Baltic Sea fed around 5,400 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity into the eastern German extra-high-voltage grid via the 50Hertz grid connection systems last year – about ten percent more than in the previous year. Over the course of 2025, the six currently operating offshore wind farms generated enough electricity to cover the annual consumption of the city of Leipzig and its surrounding region.
The reason for this increase is the continuous expansion of wind energy off the coast of the island of Rügen. Since last year, the Baltic Eagle wind farm (approx. 450 MW) has been feeding its full capacity into the grid via the Ostwind 2 connection system. Prior to that, the Arcadis Ost 1 wind farm (approx. 250 MW) went online. Wind yield amounted to 4,300 GWh in 2023 and 4,900 GWh in 2024.
Read full announcement (external link)
Originally published on 9 Feb
Read More