World Tunnel Congress 2025 (WTC 2025)

Sweden’s experience of underground construction dates back more than a century. This development is sometimes referred to as being a result of good rock conditions and close cooperation between owners, consultants, contractors and machinery manufacturers. Examples of early use of the underground, other than for mining purposes, include hydroelectric power plants, traffic tunnels and military facilities, including public shelters. The knowledge that was gained has during the last century been shared with the rest of the world and then refined by all of you. The Swedish Rock Engineering Association is a result of this cooperation. In 1946, the large steel companies began a unique collaboration to develop materials for rock drilling. Today the Swedish Rock Engineering Association represents & highlights all aspects of the Swedish tunnelling and mining industry. (E.g. through ITA-AITES, ISRM & EFEE). Sweden will shortly be one of the world’s first sustainable and fossil free nations. By the year 2045, Sweden’s net greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere will then be less than zero! This is a work in progress and development of technologies and methods is accelerating. More than a hundred years ago we were the cradle where new technologies were nourished, the dynamite, effective machinery and production methods. Despite our relatively small country we are still leading the way, building one of the most complex underground road tunnel networks, the Bypass Stockholm. A new metro with one of the deepest underground stations only accessible by elevators. And large rock caverns to store liquid hydrogen with the purpose to produce fossil free steel. As we have done in the past, we want to share our knowledge and experiences with all of you, and gain knowledge and experiences from you. We want to welcome you to Sweden and are excited to meet all of you in the spring of 2025.