RWE and UK-based designer ARC marine have achieved a global first at Rampion Offshore Wind Farm with the installation of Reef cubes® as undersea protection for turbine foundations…
RWE and UK-based designer ARC marine have achieved a global first at Rampion Offshore Wind Farm with the installation of Reef cubes® as undersea protection for turbine foundations.
The solution is designed to protect the critical energy infrastructure from strong currents in the subsea environment, while creating new and extending existing living marine habitats.
Around 75,000 Reef cubes® ranging in size from 15cm to 35cm have been installed at the base of one of the turbines at the Rampion offshore wind farm, by specialist contractor Rohde Nielsen. It is the first real-world deployment of the patented Reef cubes® as scour protection at an operational wind farm, and forms part of the Reef Enhancement for Scour Protection (RESP) pilot.
Use of scour protection is standard practice at offshore wind farms and usually involves placing layers of rock on the seabed around the base of a turbine foundation. Reef cubes® offer an alternative that provides equally effective protection from erosion but also enhanced biodiversity. They are modular, lighter, easy to install, and designed to turn protection zones into thriving ecosystems. The structure of the cubes provides habitats for marine
Content Original Link:
" target="_blank">
