Reef Enhancement for
Scour Protection

Pilot project testing nature-inclusive Reef cubes® for scour protection and marine biodiversity enhancement

The solution
Project implementation
Next steps

Reef Enhancement for Scour Protection (RESP) is an innovative, marine habitat pilot project being undertaken at Rampion offshore wind farm by RWE and partners ARC Marine. The project tests the use of ARC Marine’s Reef cubes® — nature-inclusive, low-carbon concrete structures — to protect wind turbine foundations from seabed erosion (“scour”), while simultaneously enhancing local marine biodiversity. RESP reflects RWE’s commitment to developing infrastructure that goes beyond energy generation to support healthy ecosystems and sustainable habitats.

The Challenge: Protecting Offshore Wind Foundations while enhancing biodiversity

Offshore wind turbine structures are exposed to dynamic marine environments where strong currents and waves can erode (scour) the seabed around their bases. Currently, this problem is managed with rock armour solutions that stabilise the seabed but are not designed for ecological enhancement. At Rampion Offshore Windfarm, several turbine locations were identified as at risk of scour, including turbine location JO4, which showed a developing scour pit of 2–3 metres. RESP is piloting an alternative approach to scour protection using innovative structures that also benefits marine life.

An underwater image shows a shaded area with a block covered in algae, alongside a small spotted shark resting nearby.

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The Solution: ARC Marine Reef cubes®

What are Reef cubes®?

  • Nature-Inclusive Design: Specially engineered with central chambers to provide refuge for local fish and shellfish species like black seabream, seabass, and edible brown crab, and textured surfaces to provide microhabitats such as cracks, pits, and crevices suitable for reef-building species like European flat oysters and Ross worms.


  • Sustainability: Made in the UK from 98% recycled, low-carbon concrete, the RESP Reef cubes® are entirely plastic-free and significantly reduce CO₂ emissions compared to traditional concrete (based on preliminary life cycle analysis).
A pile of grey concrete blocks with holes, arranged haphazardly with some broken pieces around, showing a rough texture.

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  • Habitat Creation: The overall structure of the Reef cube scour pad provides additional shelter for juvenile fish and epibenthic organisms, promoting the development of rich and diverse marine communities.

Project Implementation at Rampion

  • Site Selection and Design
    Location: Turbine J04 at Rampion was selected due to its developing scour pit and suitable site conditions.
    Laboratory Testing: Independent testing at HR Wallingford confirmed technical performance, with Reef cube® scour pads meeting criteria for scour depth and stability under simulated extreme storm conditions.
    Contract and Licensing: All project approvals are secured, and a marine licence was granted in March 2025 following extensive stakeholder engagement.

  • Installation
    Quayside Testing: 21 tonnes of Reef cubes® were successfully tested for transportation and installation logistics.
    Manufacturing: Approximately 75,100 cubes (1,735 tonnes), including both solid 150mm cubes and 350mm cubes with internal passageways and chambers for habitat diversity were manufactured in Truro, Cornwall.
    Deployment: The scour pad of was installed through a fall pipe by experienced installation contractor Rohde Nielsen in October 2025.

Monitoring and Evaluation

  • Technical and Ecological Performance
    Technical Surveys: Regular bathymetric surveys will monitor seabed stability and scour protection effectiveness.
    Ecological Baseline: Pre-installation surveys found no pre-existing communities of ecological interest at turbine location JO4, ensuring negligible disruption and significant potential for ecological uplift.
    Biodiversity Assessment: Ecological communities at RESP sites will be compared against both traditional rock protection and unprotected turbines through surveys in 2026, 2028, and 2030.

Next Steps and Broader Impact

RESP will help inform future best practices for offshore wind by demonstrating scalable solutions that deliver both engineering reliability and ecological value. The experience at Rampion is essential for helping evaluating the cost-effectiveness and real-world benefits of nature-inclusive design and can help shape the deployment of biodiversity-positive technologies at scale in future.

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