Ecowende, Van Oord Start Eco-Friendly Offshore Works at Hollandse Kust West
Offshore construction has started at the Hollandse Kust West wind farm, where Van Oord and developer Ecowende are installing eco-friendly scour protection designed to improve marine biodiversity.
Van Oord’s subsea rock installation vessels Nordnes and Bravenes have been mobilised to lay scour protection around monopile foundations, marking the official start of offshore operations at a wind farm which aims to become the most ecological of its kind.
Scour protection typically stabilizes the seabed around turbine foundations against erosion caused by currents and waves. In this project, however, the measure is being redesigned to contribute to habitat creation.
In close collaboration with Ecowende, Van Oord has developed four different scour protection designs, each progressively more complex. These use stones ranging from 60 to 300 kilograms, with some up to 450 kg, creating openings and crevices that provide shelter for fish and other marine life. Specially designed bays along the protection add further habitat.
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 the threatened Atlantic cod, according to Van Oord.
Van Oord said the initiative transforms scour protection from a protective measure into an active contributor to marine biodiversity. Once installed, the structures will be closely monitored to assess ecological performance and long-term impact.
Van Oord added the Bravenes is installing the 60–300 kg grading, with rocks weighing up to 450 kg, setting the new benchmark for large-scale, biodiversity-focused scour protection in offshore wind.
Ecowende’s Hollandse Kust West is located about 53 kilometres off the Dutch coast, near IJmuiden.
The wind farm will have an operational capacity of 760 MW, making 3% of the current Dutch electricity demand greener.
Ecowende plans to have the wind farm fully operational and commissioned by late 2026.