Kolding unveils Denmark’s largest pumping sluice after 2023 flood damage

Denmark’s largest pumping sluice officially opens in Kolding on Saturday, a key step in the city’s climate adaptation after devastating floods in 2023, state broadcaster DR reports.

The facility, located at the outlet of Kolding Å, features 10-meter Archimedean screws capable of moving up to 20,000 liters of water per second and is designed to handle water levels up to 280 centimeters above normal. Together with a high-water wall, it aims to protect the city from future storm surges.

“This is a huge day. Going forward, we should be able to prevent water from entering Kolding as we saw over two years ago,” said Freddy Christensen, a Venstre council member and chairman of utility company Bluekolding, which co-developed the project with the municipality.

“If water comes from upstream, we can pump it out to the fjord. If water comes in from the fjord toward the city, we can close the sluices.”

Kolding was among the hardest hit by the October 20, 2023 storm surge—the worst in over a century—when seawater rose about two meters above normal, submerging the city center and cutting power. A subsequent municipal report acknowledged that damaged equipment and insufficient preparedness worsened the flooding.

The city was already designated by the Danish Coastal Authority as particularly flood-prone. Saturday’s inauguration, which began in the morning, includes a visit from Nature and Animal Welfare Minister Christian Rabjerg Madsen (Social Democrats).