Tsurumi High-Pressure Water Pumps Keep the Rogfast Tunnel Dry
View of the tunnel portal. Construction began in 2018 and is expected to cost around 2 billion Euros, with the entire E39 road construction project costing around 40 billion Euros. (Image source: Tsurumi (Europe) GmbH)
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.
LH8110 as a key component
In order to safely construct such a structure under high pressure, immense amounts of water must be drained in a controlled manner every day. On the construction site, the project managers therefore rely almost exclusively on Tsurumi de watering pumps, which are supplied and serviced by their long-standing market partner Intec Pumper AS.
Several series are used, but especially the high-pressure models of the LH series. The focus here is on the Tsurumi LH8110, a real powerhouse for the toughest conditions. The unit, which weighs 1,2 tonnes when dry, achieves a delivery head of 107 metres and has been specially developed for extreme application scenarios in tunnel and civil engineering. Its robust, wear-resistant construction enables reliable continuous operation even under high hydrostatic pressure, which is typical at great depths.
In the Rogfast Tunnel, the LH8110 impressively demonstrates why it is one of the most powerful pumps in its class: not only does it handle large volumes of water, it also withstands 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.
A look behind the scenes
A recent video report on Tsurumi Europe's YouTube channel provides exciting insights into the challenges of this major project. For construction companies that have to cope with similar operating conditions, the LH series can be a powerful and economical solution. Tsurumi's technical teams support those responsible on site to ensure the project's success.
Source: Tsurumi (Europe) GmbH
