Cyberattack disrupts construction work on Fehmarn Belt tunnel

A cyberattack is currently delaying work on the Fehmarn Belt tunnel. FLC (Femern Link Contractors), the consortium behind the project, confirmed this on its website. It is handling the situation in cooperation with the relevant authorities and cannot provide further details.

According to various media reports, the attack disabled not only employees’ access cards but also essential specialized equipment. As a result, construction ships that rely on precise positioning could not leave port, and cranes had to be shut down, according to a report by the Danish newspaper “Folketidene”.

Politicians are also responding. The Danish Minister for Social Security, Lisbeth Bech-Nielsen, called for talks on countermeasures, according to “Folketidene”. “During the discussion, the parties will talk about what specific measures should be taken to strengthen Denmark’s cybersecurity”, she told TV 2. Schleswig-Holstein Economics and Technology Minister Madsen (CDU) called the incident “dramatic” in comments to NDR.

Another delay for the megaproject

It is currently unclear who was responsible for the attack. Denmark is particularly exposed to hybrid attacks from Russia. Still, the megaproject does not appear to have been brought to a complete standstill by the attack. Construction work reportedly took place on the Danish and German sides in the middle of the week. It is unknown whether and when regular construction operations will resume.

The Fehmarn Belt tunnel is intended to connect the Danish island of Lolland-Falster with the German Baltic Sea island of Fehmarn and significantly shorten travel times between the Copenhagen and Hamburg metropolitan areas. It consists of 89 prefabricated concrete segments, each 217 meters long. The megaproject was already plagued by delays before the cyberattack; its opening is now expected to be delayed by several years.

(cku)