OCEaN Webinar: Nature-Inclusive Scour Protection

A properly planned roll-out of offshore wind and supporting grid infrastructure can provide opportunities to support and restore nature. One way to achieve this is through the integration of innovative measures such as Nature Inclusive Design (NID). NID measures are integrated into, or added to, infrastructure in order to increase their ecological functioning and generate positive impacts on biodiversity.

Since 2022 the Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature (OCEaN) has hosted a webinar series exploring the application of NID in offshore energy and grid infrastructure.

Our sixth webinar – Nature-Inclusive Scour Protection: Creating Value for Nature and for the Wind Industry – will explore the benefits of this emerging technology.

Scour protection materials, when required, are installed around the foundations and cables of offshore wind assets to prevent seabed erosion caused by waves, currents, and turbulence around structures. In addition to their main function, nature-inclusive scour protection materials are designed to support the development of marine habitats. They also have the potential to be among the most cost-effective nature enhancement measures, as they require only limited additional investment compared to conventional scour protection methods.

If this technology offers such clear benefits, why has it not become standard practice yet, and should it be?

Join us on 4 November 2026 to hear perspectives on this topic from Marjolein Kelder (the Rich North Sea), Helen Elphick (RWE), Tim Wilms (Vattenfall), and Luuk Jungerling (the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policies). These experts will dive into the existing scour protection pilot projects, the composition and actual costs of this innovative measure, and the challenges associated with implementing it at scale.