Van Oord has successfully – and silently – installed three monopile foundations at Ecowende’s Hollandse Kust West wind farm in the Dutch North Sea using GBM Works’ VibroJet.
It is the first time the technology has been used at commercial scale, and marks a milestone in silent offshore installation, Ecowende said in a release.
Van Oord’s Boreas vessel was used in the installation.
Jan Willem Elleswijk, Project Director at Van Oord, said: “The successful execution demonstrates that large-scale silent installation technologies are maturing rapidly.
“We are pleased to have applied this innovation as part of the full foundation installation scope at Hollandse Kust West, where all 52 monopiles were installed using our vessel Boreas, once again demonstrating the vessel’s outstanding capabilities.”
The technology uses vertical vibrations to temporarily reduce soil resistance, allowing monopiles to sink under their own weight, the Ecowende said.
Erik de Man, Chief Technology Officer at GBM Works, said: “This commercial-scale application confirms that VibroJet is a robust and highly controllable monopile installation method, even in dense sand conditions.
“By combining vibration with precisely controlled water injection, we optimise installation performance while significantly reducing the impact on the marine environment, setting a new benchmark for responsible monopile installation.”