© ACO
ACO: Discover the big in the small
The view of the Kiel Fjord – and into the future
You can enjoy the view of the fjord from the Kiellinie – on a Sunday stroll, by bike or by car on the way to work. Far away behind the horizon, Denmark is invisible. Very close, but also almost invisible: Hundreds of small openings in the kerbs that protect us from the water.
© ACO
The Hindenburgufer road section was renovated with the ACO DRAIN® KerbDrain drainage system from ACO. Even if the system appears inconspicuous at first glance, it is of essential importance when it comes to heavy rainfall events or flooding in strong easterly winds. Although there is no significant tide in the Kiel Fjord, storm surges and flooding can still occur in unfavourable wind conditions. Examples of this are the events in March 2022 and October 2023, when the water from the Baltic Sea was pushed into the Kiel Fjord. This resulted in high tides of more than 1.5 metres, flooding and, in some cases, severe damage, especially in the numerous marinas. Access to the Reventlou Bridge was closed and the SFK passenger ferries no longer travelled on the fjord.
“At 12.6 billion euros, German insurers recorded the highest claims volume for natural hazards in their history in 2021.”
Natural hazard report, GDV 2024
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The Ocean Race Europe 2025
After the rain comes sun
After the sun comes rain again
After the rain comes sun
And after the sun comes rain again
Follow me now to a place
You only dreamt of before I came along
- Smoke City, Underwater Love
However, climate change is also leading to an increase in heavy rainfall events. According to the German Weather Service, Germany experienced the wettest 12-month episode from July 2023 to July 2024 since records began in 1881. It is a period without historical comparison. The disasters claimed lives and destroyed hundreds of thousands of possessions, harvests and crops. Insurers alone have to cover 2.4 billion euros in insured losses.
At 12.6 billion euros, German insurers recorded the highest claims volume for natural hazards in their history in 2021. The year was characterised by a series of storms in June with heavy hail and, above all, the July floods, which alone caused 8.5 billion euros in damage. Large-scale flooding has occurred more and more frequently recently, for example in 2002 and 2013, as well as localised flooding, such as in Münster in 2014 or in Simbach am Inn and Braunsbach in 2016. The fact is that every place in Germany is affected by heavy rainfall. If it falls on built-up areas or near populated areas, it can cause enormous damage.
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Ahoy – Emperor Wilhelm II, himself ‘Commodore’ of the Kiel Yacht Club, awarded it the title of Imperial Yacht Club in 1891 and shipped his first own yacht, the Meteor I, to Kiel. It was better to avoid mooring boats directly at the entrance in the event of flooding.
Water harbours existential dangers not only when sailing on the high seas, but also on land
Water harbours existential dangers not only when sailing on the high seas, but also on land. Although the precautionary solutions are not visible, they protect infrastructure, property and human lives. Due to the increase in extreme weather events as a result of climate change, we are facing constantly growing challenges. Storms, rising water levels and heavy downpours, some of which lead to severe flooding, emphasise the need for effective management of the water cycle. ACO develops holistic solutions to be prepared for this.
© The Ocean Race
Dr Svenja Kemper from the University of Wuppertal:
"There are a number of very different solutions, all of which work in their own way. A distinction can be made between two strategies in particular. If as much water as possible is to be fed into the underground sewerage system on site, it must be ensured that it still has sufficient capacity on the one hand and that particularly powerful drainage systems are used on the other. On the other hand, it often makes sense to channel the water to a receiving watercourse or a place where the water can be temporarily stored for a short time in a controlled manner on the surface via previously established flow paths."
The new drainage concept for flooding hotspots is the ACO Drain® Box. With this system, ACO combines linear drainage with point drainage: road runoff with kerb drainage, as implemented on Kiel's Hindenburgufer.
Climate change is also an economic factor: kerb drainage from ACO in front of the Kiel Institute for Economic Research
By the way:
The Kiellinie begins at the Seeburg behind the Ostseekai and ended until 2014 at the Blücherbrücke, where the Hindenburgufer joined. Since a resolution of the council meeting on 16 January 2014, this northern section has also been called the "Kiellinie" and since then has led all the way to the Wik.
We protect people from water. And water from people.
ACO
ACO's approach is: We protect people from water. And water from people. This means absorbing surface water quickly in order to protect people. However, it is also essential to clean and treat the water so that it can be used sustainably and returned to the natural cycle.
The holistic view of the natural water cycle is firmly anchored in ACO's DNA. The aim is to contribute to the preservation of clean groundwater as a vital resource and thus make a valuable contribution to the world of tomorrow. For this reason, ACO develops systems with which water can be collected, channelled, cleaned, stored and ultimately reused.
© ACO
These solutions are often hidden underground, like the many small openings in the kerbs of the Hindenburgufer. But even if climate change is clouding the view into the future, ACO is taking many steps to ensure that the view of the Kiel Fjord is not only beautiful, but also a little safer.
*Natural Hazards Report, German Insurance Association (Gesamtverband der Deutschen Versicherungswirtschaft e. V.), 2024