Logistics real estate developer Verdion will invest one billion euros to build a business and logistics hub, serving Danish industry at large. The multimodal hub is intended to capitalise on the completion of the Fehmarnbelt infrastructure project – the world’s longest immersed tunnel, and will cut travel time between Denmark and Germany. Once ready, the iPort Zealand will have capacity for at least 12 freight trains per day, according to the company.
The facility will cover 250 hectares of surface in the municipality of Ringsted, about 60 kilometres west of Copenhagen. There will be an intermodal terminal for the transhipment of trailers, swap bodies and containers between road and rail. Moreover, Verdion will also build an industrial park of 570,000 square metres, aimed at “advanced manufacturing, light industrial and other business space including high-tech industry and pharmaceuticals”.
The Fehmarnbelt tunnel
The ambition for iPort Zealand is to become a key hub in the region, especially in light of the future Fehmarnbelt tunnel, one of the largest infrastructure projects in Europe. It is an 18-kilometre underwater tunnel connecting the Danish island of Lolland to the German coast. There will be two electrified railway lines and four lanes of roadway, for a total cost of 7.4 billion euros based on 2015 values (around 10 billion euros today).
The grand opening has been planned for 2029, but a few hiccups will likely delay it. The most recent issue concerns the vessel, which will have to take the tunnel sections to sea and lower them to the bottom. Preparations for this phase are running one and a half years late. “It remains uncertain how much of the lost time can be recovered in the coming years”, the company overseeing the project said in September.
Verdion’s iPorts
The iPort Zeeland will not be the first initiative of this kind for Verdion. The real estate developer already undertook a similar project in Doncaster, in the heart of England. The English industrial and logistics site spreads across 337 hectares and is a key hub for connections to various UK ports. A similar role is envisioned for iPort Zeeland as well. “iPort Zealand is set to become a major new cluster for Danish business in an unparalleled strategic location,” Michael Hughes, CEO of Verdion, said.
Original reporting by Marco Raimondi at our sister service RailFreight.com, the online magazine for rail freight professionals.