Taylor will be responsible for managing the construction of the world’s longest immersed tunnel through the second half of the construction phase. Sund & Bælt says the change in management brings more international experience to the organisation.
Taylor, a British national, has held leading roles in several major international tunnel projects, including the Söderström Tunnel in Stockholm and the Metrocity Ring in Copenhagen. He also worked on the Channel Tunnel and the Great Belt Fixed Link.
“We are entering a new phase of the Fehmarnbelt project, where we will be working in a new way with our contractors to move the project forward together. This requires new skills in project management, and we are delighted to have been able to recruit one of the very best in the world as our new project director,” said Sund & Bælt CEO Mikkel Hemmingsen.
Taylor has many years’ experience with large international projects and has been involved in the construction of more than 100km of tunnels throughout. He also has extensive experience in managing multinational contractors.
Sund & Bælt says it is grateful to Henrik Vincentsen for his work in bringing the project from vision to reality and transforming a barren field on Lolland into Northern Europe’s largest construction site.
“I am proud to have led the first phase of the largest construction project in Danish history. We have solved many challenges along the way, and there are more ahead, but the project is in good hands with some of the world’s most talented specialists. I wish the team every success with the project going forward and look forward to the day when I can drive through the tunnel myself,” said Vincentsen.
The Fehmarnbelt project faces several major challenges and the planned opening in 2029 is unlikely. Currently, the biggest challenge is the preparation and regulatory approval of a specialised vessel for the immersion of the tunnel elements. At the same time, the project is entering a new phase, where the focus is shifting from the construction sites on land to the immersion of the first tunnel elements at sea.
The 18km-long Fehmarnbelt tunnel is the largest and most complex construction project in Danish history, and since the start of the construction phase in 2020, Sund & Bælt’s organisation has been continuously adjusted to challenges. In October, Sund & Bælt established a unified construction division under the leadership of Martin Russo.
