Wind Energy – Scour Protection
Sven Utermöhlen, CEO of RWE, posted on social media that around 75,000 Reef cubes have been installed around one of the foundations at the Rampion OWF.
A few months ago, RWE shared its plans to test a new kind of scour protection at Rampion off the Sussex coast. The idea was simple but ambitious: protect turbine foundations while creating space for marine life to thrive.
Earlier this week, that idea became reality, marking the world’s first full-scale use of eco-engineered scour protection at an operational offshore wind farm.
Each cube is designed and manufactured by our partners ARC marine from low-carbon concrete with textured surfaces and internal voids to create new habitats for marine species.
At a single foundation, that adds up to 25,000 square metres of habitat surface area all while maintaining the structural integrity of the asset under strong tidal conditions.
The installation was carried out by the marine construction company Rohde Nielsen , whose precision and offshore experience were key to the project’s success.
The next phase will focus on monitoring both the structural and ecological performance of the cubes to better understand their potential for broader use across offshore wind.
