The embrace of sustainable technology helped Swiss construction group Implenia win the first tunnelling contract for the planned Fornebu Line (Fornebubanen) of the Oslo Metro in Norway.
Implenia will build a tunnel and associated works for a 2.3km tunnel between the future Lysaker and Fornebu stations in a contract worth some $141m (CHF 131 million).
It will also establish construction pits and rock shafts at the future Flytårnet and Fornebuporten stations.
Oslo’s biggest infrastructure project since the 1970s, the Fornebubanen is an 8.5km extension of the Oslo metro down onto the Fornebu Peninsula.
Comprising six new underground stations, the Fornebubanen is expected to cost around $1.5bn (NOK 13 billion), according to Danish engineering group, Cowi, which designed the line.Â
Implenia said it was chosen for its best offer, for meeting the contract’s environmental requirements, its implementation plan and BIM expertise.Â
"The bidders who invest most in alternative fuel technology and contribute to the electrification of machinery and facilities came out best in this competition," said Fornebubanen project manager Grete Tvedt.
"The focus on sustainability seems to trigger good solutions, not only concerning environmental and climate protection, but also for the project overall. We look forward to a good collaboration with Implenia on this large and important tunnel contract."
The project is scheduled to start in May this year and be complete by autumn 2023.
Completion of the whole Fornebubanen is scheduled for 2027.
Image: Fornebuporten station designed by Zaha Hadid Architects and A-Lab (©Zaha Hadid Architects and A-Lab)
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