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Offshore construction has kicked off at Ecowende’s Hollandse Kust West Site VI offshore wind farm in the Netherlands with the start of eco-friendly scour protection works.
Van Oord’s subsea rock installation vessels Nordnes and Bravenes have been deployed to install scour protection, which prevents monopile erosion caused by strong currents and waves.
In collaboration with Ecowende, Van Oord has developed four scour protection designs. The designs use stones of varying sizes, including a grading of 60-300 kg, and with some stones up to 450 kg, to create larger openings and crevices between the rocks.
These gaps provide shelter for fish and other marine species, while specially designed bays along the scour protection extend the length of habitat available.
The combination of variations in stone size and crevices, together with bay structures, is said to enhance lee zones and create more variety in open spaces. The rock–sand interface stimulates a richer and more diverse marine ecosystem, supporting species such as the threatened Atlantic cod, according to Ecowende, a joint venture of Shell, Eneco, and Chubu .
“We’re excited to kick-off the installation of our wind farm and begin making a positive ecological impact from day one. This milestone showcases the collaboration between ecologists, engineers, and operational experts, delivering both on our ecological targets and a solution that could be fit for future wind farms,” said Jelle Muller , Project Engineer Ecology at Ecowende.