Pan-European logistics real estate specialist Verdion has announced plans for iPort Zealand: a €1 billion business hub for Danish logistics, industry and business to capitalise on the completion of the major Fehmarnbelt infrastructure project.
When complete, the world’s longest combined road + rail tunnel will connect Germany and Scandinavia with new road and high-speed rail passenger and freight connections, reducing journey times between Hamburg and Copenhagen by ~2 hours by rail and ~70 minutes by road.
iPort Zealand will become Denmark’s premier intermodal hub, extending to 250-ha on privately-owned land in the Ringsted municipality, 60km west of Copenhagen. It sits at the intersection of the country’s main east-west and north-south rail corridors and is located next to the E20 motorway, which stretches from western Denmark to Stockholm via Copenhagen and Malmӧ.
- It will be anchored by an international freight terminal enabling the transshipment of trailers, containers, and swap bodies between road and rail.
- On the surrounding site, Verdion will deliver up to 570,000 sqm of logistics, advanced manufacturing, light industrial and other business space including high-tech industry and pharmaceuticals, where thousands of new jobs will be created.
Michael Hughes, CEO of Verdion, said:
“iPort Zealand is set to become a major new cluster for Danish business in an unparalleled strategic location.
“The Fehmarnbelt tunnel will have a transformative effect across the Nordics and Germany, opening up more supply chain routes and creating new opportunities across a huge range of business sectors. It is vital that Denmark is in a strong position to benefit from this economic upswing – from employment and services to customs and revenue.
“This new commercial hub is set to become a growth engine for the region, translating infrastructure improvements into tangible benefits for the local and national economy, including better access to major regional ports. Combining state-of-the-art freight handling and leading-edge real estate, alongside the environmental benefits of rail freight and our ESG-focussed approach, these plans will ensure that the positive impacts of this value-creation are felt across the country.
“With the tunnel works already progressing, it is essential that there is provision on the ground before services start running – which means starting the development process now. We have made important progress already, and with positive discussions at local and national levels, and partnership agreements in place, we are in a strong position to move forward with the support of the local municipality.”
- iPort Zealand follows iPort Doncaster, Verdion’s major intermodal logistics park in the north of England, which is almost complete. Extending to 324 ha with an on-site intermodal rail terminal and substantial areas given over to wildlife and biodiversity, the park will have benefitted from €600m of direct investment via Verdion, augmented by significant local investment from occupiers.
- iPort Zealand will sit within the STRING megaregion extending from Oslo to Hamburg, linking 4 countries. 7 cities, 9 regions and 14 million people.
The terminal will be designed to handle at least 12 full-length freight trains per day, seven days a week. Each train would replace around 60 long-distance trucks, freeing capacity on the road network. Freight trains emit around four times less CO₂ than trucks, meaning each train movement can save approximately 45 tonnes of CO₂ compared to road transport alone.
All buildings will be developed to high standards of sustainability with a focus on energy and resource efficiency and independently certified by an internationally recognised body.
Verdion is now working with local and national stakeholders to progress detailed designs for the park with plans to deliver new development ready for the completion of the new tunnel.
