RWE and ARC Marine are celebrating the progress of their joint pilot project, Reef Enhancement for Scour Protection (RESP), at the Rampion offshore wind farm.
This first-of-its-kind initiative, co-funded by Innovate UK, is delivering sustainable, nature-inclusive reef cubes as an alternative to traditional rock scour protection, enhancing marine biodiversity while protecting turbine foundations.
Over the past 18 months, the RESP project has achieved several key milestones, marking significant progress in the application of reef cubes as a scour protection solution that can also achieve positive outcomes for biodiversity.
The team completed hydrodynamic stability testing of the reef cube scour pad at HR Wallingford’s advanced physical modelling facilities.
The partners have also undertaken ecological “baseline” surveys, secured a marine licence for the full-scale deployment of more than 75,000 reef cubes at Rampion Offshore Wind Farm off the Sussex coast, and have now placed all contracts for deployment.
In addition, a scalable manufacturing process has been developed using locally sourced, low-carbon, and recycled materials.
The reef cubes – designed and manufactured by ARC Marine as a mix of 15cm and 35cm cubes – are engineered with rough surfaces and built-in shelter spaces that promote the settlement and protection of local marine species, such as European seabass, common starfish and brown crab.
The partners said this eco-engineered solution provides effective scour protection while fostering vibrant marine ecosystems.
RWE offshore wind chief executive Sven Utermöhlen said: “RESP reflects RWE’s commitment to pioneering nature-positive solutions that support the resilience of our offshore wind assets and the biodiversity of marine ecosystems.
“We’re proud to partner with ARC Marine to advance this innovative solution, which offers a practical and scalable approach to sustainable offshore development.”
ARC Marine chief executive and founder Tom Birbeck added: “This pilot is the world’s first full-scale deployment of nature-inclusive designed reef cubes, an alternative to imported traditional rock scour protection, which creates valuable new habitats while still addressing engineering needs.
“We’re thrilled to see RESP move from concept to reality alongside RWE and see reef creation being actively explored during offshore energy construction.”
The data and insights gathered from the RESP pilot will help to assess the potential benefits of using nature-inclusive design (NID) to increase biodiversity within future offshore developments while addressing a critical engineering issue.