Four new construction and civil engineering contracts for Implenia

An Implenia crew surveys a site in Norway. (Image: Implenia)

The Switzerland-based firm said it will build two data centres in Dielsdorf, Switzerland, near the city of Zürich, a residential dwelling in the canton of Zürich, an office building in Karlsruhe, Germany, and a rail-link tunnel in northern Sweden.

The company said the work “reflects the group’s strategic focus on large and complex projects, specialist expertise, and sustainability.”

Two new data centre builds in Dielsdorf, Switzerland

Green, a leading Swiss data centre provider, commissioned Implenia to build two more high-performance centres for the Green Metro campus in Dielsdorf.

“Implenia has already built the first of three data centres for Green in Dielsdorf and is currently constructing the associated office building on the Green Metro Campus site,” said Implenia. 

According to Green, the campus covers an area of 46,000m2 and consists of energy-efficient data centres and a business park. The first data centre was completed in December 2022, and the office building set to open in summer 2024. Green financed approximately $542 million at the end of 2022 for the growth project. Neither Green nor Implenia stated the value of work Implenia has been contracted for.

Civil engineering work has started, and Green plans to deliver the first data centre capacity in summer 2025.

Once complete, Implenia said it will have built six data centres in the greater Zurich area, which Implenia said had “major growth potential in this market.”

Construction of a new data centre for Green’s Metro-Campus Zürich, Switzerland. (Image: Green)

Sustainable office building in central Karlsruhe, Germany

Naxos Grundbesitz KG, a Dusseldorf, Germany, real estate company, has brought in Implenia to build the Midstad Karlsruhe project at Kaiserstrasse, which includes retail space, offices, co-working space, and food-service outlets.

The scheme will erect a new structure to replace the Peek & Cloppenburg building.

“The Midstad project is also intended to ensure that Karlsruhe’s city centre remains an attractive and lively place where people enjoy staying and meeting people,” stated information on the project. “Since the building has reached the end of its life cycle and no longer meets current requirements, it will be dismantled and a new, mixed-use, sustainable building will be developed in its place.”

Implenia will serve as general contractor for the build.

“The client had already asked the special foundations unit to handle the demolition work and build the construction pit,” said Implenia. “This work is almost finished, [and] the project is scheduled for completion in mid-2026.”

The firm said it hopes to achieve DGNB Platinum certification for the new building and DGNB demolition certification for the demolition work; recognitions for sustainability in construction projects handed out by the German Sustainable Building Council.

“A solar power system is planned for the roof, while retention roofs will harvest rainwater,” added Implenia, highlighting other sustainable aspects of the project. “A facade made of very light-coloured natural stone will help improve the microclimate in the neighbourhood.”

An exact dollar amount for the contract was not available.

Building the Ersmark tunnel, ‘an important rail link in northern Sweden’

The Swedish Transport Authority also awarded Implenia a contract for planning and building the Ersmark tunnel, a 1.6km long tunnel between Fäboberget and Ersmarksberget. It includes a service tunnel, various concrete structures, water and wastewater systems, and drainage mats. Access roads and staging will also be built.

Work is scheduled to start in May 2024 and will take about two years to complete, said Implenia.

The tunnel is part of the Norrbotnia Line, a 270km new railway between Umeå and Luleå. The new railway line is said to help cut travel times significantly and improve the connection of a densely populated area of Sweden to the rest of Europe.

Financial information on the contract was not available.

New residential development in the Zürich canton

Implenia has been commissioned by a pension fund to realise a residential development in the canton of Zurich. The firm will serve as the total contractor.

The contract is worth around $113 million.

The project will start in April 2024 and is expected to last until summer 2027.