There is movement again in the certification of the Ivy vessel, which is central to the Femern connection and is currently a bottleneck in the entire construction. Several new certificates have been registered in the vessel's approval process, but the final authority approval is still missing, and the vessel therefore still cannot be put into use.
The new certificates are the International Anti-Fouling System Certificate (AFS-IC) and the National Cargo Ship Safety Certificate Denmark (DNK-CS-C). This is evident from the certificate list in the approval process.
AFS-IC is an international environmental certificate related to the hull's anti-fouling systems and coating requirements. DNK-CS-C is a Danish safety certificate for cargo ships, covering key safety requirements on board.
What are Ivy 1 and Ivy 2?
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Two specially built pontoons to transport and submerge tunnel elements in the Fehmarn Belt.
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Each unit is 105 metres long and 45 metres wide.
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The elements are held at both ends and controlled via winches and kilometre-long steel wires from the vessel's control room.
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Can only be used once the final tests are completed and the final authority approval is given.
The certificates add to a longer list of already issued documents on, among other things, radio, working environment, and pollution prevention. Most recently, a temporary load line/freeboard certificate (ILLC-IC) was issued in October, which was intended to enable the vessel to carry out load tests.
The classification certificate is missing
Even though a long list of certificates is now in place, the crucial classification certificate (CLCE) is still missing. This is the certification point that collectively documents that the vessel meets the technical standards for construction and safety. Without the classification certificate, the Danish Maritime Authority cannot give the final approval.
The Danish Maritime Authority must approve Ivy 1 and Ivy 2 for operation, but it is Det Norske Veritas (DNV) that is responsible for testing and issuing the ongoing certificates in the process.
Key vessel holds back the lowering
The Ivy vessel consists of two specially built pontoons, Ivy 1 and Ivy 2, which are to hold and guide the tunnel elements when they are lowered into place on the bottom of the Fehmarn Belt. The vessels were delivered in the autumn of 2024, but the lengthy approval process has meant that the lowering work has not yet begun.
The approval process has been characterised by special rules and exemptions because the pontoons do not fit into the usual regulations for ships. Central technical aspects such as stability, freeboard, and load line were first approved in the winter and spring of 2025, and since then the work has consisted of getting the final certificates in place.
When the Ivy vessel is approved, the next problem awaits: The client Femern A/S, which is owned by the Danish state, and the contractor consortium Femern Link Contractors (FLC) disagree on whether the tunnel trench can be used. FLC believes that it requires major repairs and estimates that the first tunnel element can be lowered at the earliest in May 2026. Femern A/S maintains that only minor adjustments are needed.
