ECOncrete, an international eco-engineering company specialising in concrete technology for marine infrastructure, will partner with the cement manufacturer LafargeHolcim to deliver an ecologically beneficial concrete scour protection for offshore wind turbines in the U.S. ECOncrete claims their unique concrete technology is both durable and carbon-storing: ecosystems like oysters and corals encrust themselves on the surface more readily due to its patented alteration of concrete’s chemical composition.
In a global first, the three-year research and development partnership will seek to address the ecological impacts of offshore wind turbines on their surrounding marine environment. More sustainable industry standards and healthier oceans make up ECOncrete and LafargeHolcim’s ambitions for the project.
“Offshore energy production is a rapidly growing market worldwide,” explains Dr. Ido Sella, CEO and Co-Founder of ECOncrete.“While there are certainly benefits of using renewable energy, there is also an impact of these giant structures on sensitive underwater ecosystems. We view our collaboration with LafargeHolcim in the US as key to minimising this impact.”
The project, which is funded by the Binational Industrial Research and Development Energy programme, comes after the Biden administration announced its target of creating 30 GW of offshore wind by 2030 while maintaining aquatic biodiversity. Because of their size, offshore wind turbines need formidable concrete foundations. Without scour protection, concrete can be damaged and broken apart by hydrodynamic force, compromising the structure. However, though scour protection prevents foundations from failing, they also have a negative impact on sensitive benthic (seabed) ecosystems.
“For LafargeHolcim in the US, we recognise that there are many paths to achieving our net zero commitment,” says Josep Maset, VP Commercial Excellence at LafargeHolcim. “The work we’re doing with ECOncrete Tech is a notable example of searching for solutions that enable increased use of renewable energy in an environmentally responsible way.”
ECOncrete and LafargeHolcim will design and manufacture a concrete scour protection for U.S. wind turbines that, they claim, will not only maintain the structural fidelity of standard scour protection units but also facilitate the growth of marine organisms. The collaboration will begin in pilot form before its progression to a full-scale installation project.
