Offshore works have begun at Ecowende’s Hollandse Kust West wind farm with the installation of scour protection designed to enhance marine biodiversity. Van Oord has deployed its subsea rock installation vessels Nordnes and Bravenes for the operation.
Scour protection is normally placed around the base of a monopile to prevent seabed erosion caused by currents and waves, ensuring the stability of the turbine foundation. For Hollandse Kust West, the approach has been adapted to include a nature-inclusive design.
In collaboration with Ecowende, Van Oord has developed four scour protection concepts of increasing complexity. The designs use stones of varying sizes, graded between 60 and 300 kg, with some weighing up to 450 kg, to create larger gaps and crevices. These openings provide shelter for fish and other marine life, while specially designed bays along the protection increase available habitat. The mix of stone sizes, crevices and bay structures encourages lee zones and varied open spaces, while the rock–sand interface supports a richer ecosystem, including species such as the threatened Atlantic cod.
The ecological performance and long-term effects of the different designs will be monitored once installation is complete.
