Sipko Dotinga,
A.Hak Drillcon, the
Netherlands,
discusses
how technical
challenges were
overcome on one of the
largest microtunnelling
projects in the world.
THE RIVER ELBE
I
n the north of Germany, the existing natural gas pipeline network is being optimised and renewed for securing regional gas
supply, and in future also to Scandinavia. For this reason, Gasunie Deutschland had to close a decisive gap in the system by
crossing the River Elbe, the waterway to the Port of Hamburg, near the village of Hetlingen. Two parallel pipelines of 750 mm
dia. and a length of 1500 m each had to be constructed.
Gasunie has a long standing relation with A.Hak. The Dutch contractor has completed numerous pipeline construction, HDD,
Direct-Pipe and microtunnelling contracts for Gasunie. Gasunie’s appreciation of A.Hak’s spirit of ‘Giving it our all’ and its confidence
in the contractor’s getting-it-done-mentality, finally landed A.Hak Drillcon the main contract for tunnelling the River Elbe.
UNDER
TUNNELLING
Figure 1.
Start shaft on Hetlingen.
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