Offshore operations at Ecowende’s Hollandse Kust West offshore wind farm have officially commenced 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 that the company said has been designed to optimise marine biodiversity.
Scour protection is generally installed around the base of a monopile to prevent erosion caused by strong currents and waves. According to Van Oord, stabilising the seabed in this way ensures the structural integrity of the turbine’s foundation.
In close collaboration with Ecowende, Van Oord has developed four scour protection designs, each progressively more complex. These designs use stones of varying sizes, including a grading of 60 to 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, enhances lee zones and creates more variety in open spaces; the rock–sand interface stimulates a richer and more diverse marine ecosystem, supporting species such as Atlantic cod.
