A major milestone has been reached on the Fehmarn Belt project, as the purpose-built immersion vessel IVY has successfully completed its final tests and received approval from the Danish Maritime Authority.
With this approval in place, preparations are now underway to install the first tunnel element later this spring off the coast of Lolland.
IVY is a highly specialised solution developed specifically for the project. The system consists of two connected vessels that work together to lift, transport, and precisely lower the massive tunnel elements into the seabed. Each element measures approximately 217 metres in length and must be positioned with extreme accuracy at depths of up to 40 metres.
In parallel with the vessel testing, significant progress has been made on site. The first section of the tunnel trench near Rødbyhavn has been prepared, including seabed levelling to ensure a stable foundation for the elements.
Before immersion, the tunnel element will be brought to the work harbour, where ballast will be added to achieve the required weight for submersion. From there, IVY will transport the element to the trench and carry out the installation through a carefully controlled operation. The immersion of tunnel elements is one of the most complex phases of the project and will be repeated multiple times as construction progresses.
