Every year around 40,000 ships pass through the Fehmarn Belt. Add to this 33,000 annual ferry departures between Rødby and Puttgarden, and you have the recipe for an accident waiting to happen, especially when the world’s longest submersion tunnel is being built in that exact area.
Femern A/S, together with the Danish and German maritime authorities, has set up VTS Femernbelt (Vessel Traffic Service) to ensure, among other things, that navigation safety in the Femernbelt in connection with the construction of the tunnel is not impaired.
Located in Travemünde
The VTS Center is based in Travemünde in Germany, where traffic in the Fehmarnbelt is monitored around the clock. When a commercial vessel sails into the VTS area, it is contacted by the VTS centre and informed about the ongoing construction works.
After the first two years of the construction phase, commercial traffic has gradually become accustomed to sailing through Europe’s largest construction site.
Meeting four times a year
Femern A/S invites pilots, business organizations and yachting associations to a meeting in Rødbyhavn four times a year. A leaflet about the project has also been produced in five different languages, which the organizations help distribute to their members.
Good control of it
– There was naturally enough an adaptation phase at the start of the project, but we have good control over the professional sailors, cargo ships and fishermen in the area. They know who we are and what we do, so it is now rare that business traffic causes problems, says Christian Paulsen, marine operations manager at Femern A/S.
The employees in the VTS centre are captains who have been specially trained for the task. They have all the necessary technology available. The emergency services can thus monitor ship traffic and maintain direct radio contact with the individual vessel on its way through the Fehmarn Belt.
Guard ships in the belt
Part of the preparedness to maintain navigation safety in the Fehmarn Belt also consists of guard ships in the Fehmarn Belt. During the construction phase, the ships act as the extended arm of the VTS authorities. They can move out at short notice if a commercial vessel does not respond in connection with entering the VTS area or comes too close to the construction activities. However, it is rare that it is necessary to send out a guard ship.
However, it happened at the beginning of November when a large cargo ship had engine problems near a work area. A tug was sent out to ensure the ship did not drift too close to the construction site, but the problem was resolved before intervention was necessary.
Yachtsmen’s biggest challenge
– Our biggest challenge is occasional yachtsmen who don’t always get their bearings before going on a trip. For example, we had some kayakers who sailed all the way from Ystad to Kiel with a stop in Rødbyhavn without realizing that they had sailed across one of the busiest waters in Europe and the largest construction site, says Christian Paulsen from Femern Femern A/S.
Among other reasons, Femern A/S has purchased a small RIB motor boat to be able to sail out and guide the smallest ships that come too close to the work area.
Good cooperation
– It has been shown that the navigation safety measures chosen and implemented are effective. We collaborate well with the yachtsmen’s organisations, who do a great job guiding their members. Having said that, we are constantly looking at opportunities to reach these sailors who do not know the area and do not familiarize themselves with the rules, says marine operations manager Christian Paulsen.
