NCC to construct stormwater tunnel in Copenhagen

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Image: tunnel drill, photo Ulrik M Eriksen

Image: tunnel drill, photo Ulrik M Eriksen

NCC, in a joint venture with SMET, has been commissioned to construct a 1.3-kilometer surface water and stormwater tunnel in central Copenhagen. The project is to be performed on behalf of utility companies HOFOR and Frederiksberg Forsyning and is scheduled for completion in 2026. The order value for NCC is approximately SEK 300 million.

The tunnel will be named the Kalvebod Brygge Skybrudstunnel and is one of the largest projects in the general plan for managing surface water and stormwater in Copenhagen.

“This type of tunnel will be of key importance to the city’s residents, particularly those who frequent the eastern Frederiksberg and Vesterbro districts. It will protect values and safeguard against future climate effects, as well as helping to ensure that the areas can withstand torrential downpours,” says Rasmus Sielemann Christensen, CEO of Frederiksberg Forsyning.

The tunnel will have a diameter of nearly three meters, be about 1.3 kilometers long and have the capacity to handle 20 cubic meters of water per second. It will therefore be dimensioned to handle surface water and potential torrential downpours. The tunnel will cross below 21 railway tracks, run very close to subway tunnels and pass through contaminated land and under several listed buildings in a dense urban environment.

“There is a major need to develop stormwater management in many cities. At NCC, we have extensive experience and expertise in this field. This is an exciting project that places exacting demands on us as contractors and in partnership with SMET, we have the right skill set for the task,” says Kenneth Nilsson, Business Area Manager NCC Infrastructure.

The project also includes the construction of Scandinavia’s largest pumping station, three shafts and a new promenade along Kalvebod Brygge. Work will commence in early 2022 and is expected to be completed in 2026.

The order value for NCC’s part of the agreement is approximately SEK 300 million and will be registered among orders in the fourth quarter of 2021 in the Infrastructure business area. The order value for the NCC/SMET joint venture totals approximately SEK 380 million.