Technology from Japan is playing a key role in the Rogfast project, one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in Europe. This 27km underwater road tunnel will, once completed, be the longest and deepest of its kind in the world.
The tunnel connects the Stavanger region with Bokn and is intended to replace the existing ferry connection on the important north-south route between Kristiansand and Trondheim. For passenger and freight traffic on the new European route E39, this means considerable time savings and a significant increase in traffic safety and reliability – especially given the often challenging weather conditions on the Norwegian west coast.
To build this tunnel under high pressure, large quantities of water must be drained in a controlled manner every day. On the construction site, the project managers are relying on Tsurumi de watering pumps, which are supplied and serviced by their long-standing market partner Intec Pumper.
Several series are used, but especially the high-pressure models of the LH series. The Tsurumi LH8110 model is playing a particularly important role. The unit weighs 1.2tonnes when dry, achieves a delivery head of 107m and has been developed for extreme application scenarios in tunnel and civil engineering. Its robust construction is allowing continuous operation even under high hydrostatic pressure.
In the Rogfast Tunnel, the LH8110 is handling large volumes of water and also withstanding abrasive dirty water, changing pressure conditions and long operating cycles. This reliability is crucial for those responsible for the construction, as downtime or unplanned maintenance intervals would significantly impede the tightly scheduled construction progress.
