Fehmarn prequals framework consultants 17 Nov 2016

Design of the road and rail immersed tube connection

Femern A/S has prequalified a list of consultants to provide services in two framework packages for the design and construction phase of the 17.6km long Fehmarn immersed tube road and rail tunnel connection between Denmark and Germany.

The two framework packages replace an existing single consultancy service contract and divide the scope into client consulting services, to provide conventional consultancy services including dealing with potential contractor claims, and for technical in-house consulting services, to provide personnel as required to the client’s technical division and provide ad hoc quality assurance services.

The prequalified companies for each contract are:
Client Consulting Services

• CH2M Hill UK with sub-consultants NIRAS, Dr tech Olav Olsen and Sellhorn Ingenieurgesellschaft
• Rambøll-Arup-TEC JV with sub-consultants WTM Engineers and Schønherr
• Sweco Danmark with subconsultants Sweco Nederland and Mott MacDonald
• ÅF Infrastructure

Technical In-house Consulting Services

• CH2M Hill UK with sub-consultants NIRAS, Dr tech Olav Olsen and Sellhorn Ingenieurgesellschaft
• EKJ-ILF-GEO
• Rambøll-Arup-TEC JV with sub-consultant WTM Engineers
• Sweco Danmark
• ÅF – Hansen & Henneberg with sub-consultant ÅF Infrastructure

Consultancy services since 2009 have been provided by the Rambøll-Arup-TEC JV, which is on the prequalified shortlist to bid for both of the two new framework contracts.

Femern A/S told TunnelTalk that the new consultancy contracts are expected to be signed in the first quarter of 2017.

“There are no significant changes in the services,” said Jens Villemoes, Press Manager for Femern A/S. Nor does the consultancy tender affect staff levels within the client organisation as it is re-tender of an existing technical advisor contract.

An option for the client under the two-contract system is to have one technical advisor providing quality assurance on the other, said Villemoes.

While a changeover in consultancy arrangements is managed, construction contracts for the civil works are signed, albeit conditionally. Contracts worth a total €3.814 billion (excluding VAT) and below the client’s estimate were signed in May 2016, after an extended bid round for submitting revised offers after all the initial tenders came in substantially in excess of the client’s budget.

Civil contracts are conditional since work cannot begin until Germany grants environmental approval for the project. The conditional contracts are valid for 3.5 years. If the German planning decision is approved in late 2017, as has been anticipated, construction could start soon after.

Also awaited is European Union funding. The project is a strategic transport route under the TEN-T development programme for Europe and EU funding is available to be drawn in subsidy period to 2020, Femern A/S told TunnelTalk.

The current schedule foresees the ambitious undersea immersed tube link opening in 2026 or later due to the various construction procurement and environmental planning delays.