Vejle marina forced to replace wood pilings at cost of €3.5 million due to shipworm damage

The Danish city of Vejle must replace severely damaged wooden pilings in its marina after an infestation by the shipworm (teredo navalis), a burrowing mollusc that consumes submerged wood, DR reports.

Inspections revealed that the pilings in Vejle Lystbådehavn (Vejle Marina) have been so extensively compromised by the shipworm that they no longer meet safety standards. The replacement project is estimated to cost 26 million Danish kroner (approximately €3.5 million).

The shipworm, though small, poses a persistent threat to wooden structures in marine environments. The marina’s damaged pilings are the latest in a series of similar cases reported along Danish coasts.