EXAMINATION OF THE ENERGY AND EMISSION SITUATION IN RELATION TO THE POSSIBILITY OF A BRIDGE BEING BUILT OVER THE GREAT BEALT

The Danish government is considering the implications of building a bridge over the Great Belt, the stretch of waters between the island of Funen and Zealand, as an alternative to transport by ferry which is at present (1988) the only means of communication between the islands for trains and road vehicles. A bridge would result in a change in the pattern of traffic between East and West Denmark and thus also in the amount of energy used. The two contrasting situations of continued ferry transport, and of road and rail traffic using a bridge over the Great Belt after 1996, are examined in the light of energy consumption and air pollution from exhaust gases. It was found that in spite of the expected increase in traffic volume in 1996, there would be a reduction in energy consumption in relation to transport between East and West Denmark if a bridge were built, because ferries consume more energy crossing the waters than would road and rail traffic when crossing the waters by the 18 km. long bridge. The reduction in energy consumption would be 1-2% of that of the total within the transportation sector. This would mean a saving of 96 million Danish Crowns (1988 prices, excluding duties). There would also be a reduction in air pollution, sulphur dioxide emission would decrease by 6-7%, and emission particles by 2%. Emission of hydrocarbonates, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide would remain more or less constant. The energy consumption involved in the actual construction of the bridge would be "repaid" in the course of three years because by then the same amount of energy would have been savd by substituting road and rail transport over the bridge for the ferry routes.

• Corporate Authors:

  Risoe National Laboratory

  Roskilde,   Denmark 
• Publication Date: 1988-5

Media Info

• Pagination: 93 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air pollution; Carbon monoxide; Energy consumption; Environmental impacts; Exhaust gases; Highway bridges; Hydrocarbons; Nitric oxide; Nitrogen oxides; Sulfur dioxide
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Energy; Environment; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00486681
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: NEI-DK-104
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 31 1989 12:00AM