The decision to close the Darßer Ort emergency harbour, let it silt up and replace it with an island harbour off Prerow has been around for a long time. The state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern wanted to complete the project with EU subsidies by the end of 2023. Construction was due to start in spring. However, as of May 2022, the contract has not even been awarded and there are increasing rumours that the costs are exploding and that the construction work can no longer realistically be completed by the end of next year, which could allegedly lead to considerable financing problems. There are many rumours circulating on the coast, YACHT wanted to find out what the truth is and asked the responsible Ministry for Climate Protection, Agriculture and Hydraulic Engineering. Dr Frank Weichbrodt from the Flood, Coastal Protection, Hydraulic Engineering and Water Association Law Department replied.
YACHT: Is the invitation to tender for the services still running, or has the deadline already passed and the bids are being scrutinised?
A negotiated procedure is being carried out to award the construction work for the island harbour, in which bidders can also contribute their own technical ideas. The process has not yet been finalised, partly due to the Ukraine crisis. According to the current schedule, the services are to be awarded at the beginning of June.
Is a binding start of construction planned in the tender?
The start of construction will be determined by the (successful) construction/working group itself, taking into account the planned end of the construction period in December 2023. The start of construction also depends on the delivery of construction materials, the availability of floating construction equipment and the local sea conditions.
A price increase to around 37 million euros was already on the cards for 2021. As prices in the harbour construction industry have also risen sharply this year according to companies working in this sector and many materials are difficult to obtain, the question arises as to whether the sum of 37 million euros is still sustainable or whether an adjustment is already on the horizon, and approximately how high this is.
During the award/negotiation process, it became clear that the originally estimated approx. 37 million euros were not sufficient to realise the project. The state government therefore made a further approx. 9 million euros available for the project in February 2022. Around 41 million euros of this is earmarked for construction work.
According to the cabinet bill, there is time pressure as the harbour must be fully settled with the EU by the end of 2023, otherwise the EU funding period will end. After that, it is questionable how the project will be financed. Is this the case?
According to the current state of knowledge, the deadline for the settlement of construction services with the construction/working group is actually the end of 2023, which is why the construction services are to be provided by the end of 2023 in accordance with the contract. Should there be any delays due to construction disruptions or unforeseen events, the state government will decide on further funding.
According to a report by NDR, the running costs for the island harbour amount to around 260,000 euros. Is this figure correct and has it already been clarified who will bear these costs? Given the small number of berths, it is undisputed that the harbour does not cover its costs.
The maintenance costs mentioned by the NDR are an estimate of the annual operating and maintenance costs for the island harbour and the approx. 720-metre-long pier. This also includes personnel costs. Income, e.g. from mooring fees or levies for water/electricity, is not included in this figure. In fact, cost-covering operation is not possible due to the small number of berths. The state of M-V is therefore providing additional funds for the operation of the emergency harbour with a staging function.
