Industry first completion of silent monopile installations

Press Release

Industryfirst completion of silent monopile installations

Rotterdam, theNetherlands, 9 April 2026 - Van Oord has successfully installed three monopile foundations using GBMWorks' jetting solution in combination with CAPE’s vibro lifting tool for thefirst time at commercial scale, marking a major industry milestone in silentoffshore installation. Designed to reduce underwater noise and minimise impacton marine life, the method was deployed at Ecowende's Hollandse Kust West windfarm using Van Oord's new offshore wind installation vessel Boreas.

As a longstanding frontrunner in offshore windinnovation, Van Oord is committed to reducing ecological impact withoutcompromising installation performance. GBM Works' VibroJet® technology supportsthis ambition by combining vibrations with controlled water jets inside themonopile to fluidise the soil and reduce resistance. GBM's in-depthunderstanding of how water jets interact with different soil conditions allowedfor precise operational control, guided by the purpose-built Fluidflow®prediction model. Deployed from Van Oord's jack-up vessel Boreas, the technologyhas demonstrated strong potential in the dense sand layers typical of the DutchNorth Sea.

Jan Willem Elleswijk, Project Director at Van Oord: “The successful executiondemonstrates that large-scale silent installation technologies are maturingrapidly. We are pleased to have applied this innovation as part of the fullfoundation installation scope at Hollandse Kust West, where all 52 monopileswere installed using our vessel Boreas, once again demonstrating the vessel’s outstandingcapabilities.”

Erik de Man, ChiefTechnology Officer at GBM Works: "This commercial-scale applicationconfirms that VibroJet® is a robust and highly controllable monopileinstallation method, even in dense sand conditions. By combining vibration withprecisely controlled water injection, we optimise installation performancewhile significantly reducing the impact on the marine environment, setting anew benchmark for responsible monopile installation.”

The VibroJet® installations were carried out incombination with CAPE Holland's Vibro Technology, which uses verticalvibrations to temporarily reduce soil resistance, allowing monopiles to sinkunder their own weight.

Marc van Rooijen, Chief Commercial Officer atCAPE Holland: “Thehard seabed conditions at Hollandse Kust West represent one of the mostchallenging environments in the Dutch North Sea, which makes this achievementparticularly significant. We are proud to have contributed to proving thatecological and efficient can go hand in hand.”

Building the mostecological offshore wind farm to date
The achievement stronglyaligns with Ecowende’s ambition to build the most ecological offshore wind farmto date, with the goal of developing offshore wind in harmony with nature,enhancing the biodiversity of the North Sea and reducing impacts on birds,bats, and marine mammals. Data collected during the Vibro and VibroJet installationsof the monopiles will also validate predictive models for underwater sound andpile behaviour, supporting broader adoption of low-noise installation methods worldwide.

Arjan Hamoen, Construction Director at Ecowende: “I'm very proud that ourproject team and partners were able to bring an innovative foundationinstallation technique from idea to full-scale VibroJet monopile installation.Through detailed preparation and strong collaboration, we completed thischallenging operation within a tight schedule. That teamwork resulted in awell-executed, successful installation campaign — with VibroJet® monopiles installed to target depth. This is amajor step forward, and one that may help us build wind farms in greater harmonywith nature.”

About Ecowende’s Hollandse Kust West wind farm

Ecowende is a joint venture between Shell, Eneco andChubu. Located about 53 kilometres off the Dutch coast near IJmuiden, the windfarm will have an operational capacity of approximately 760 MW, supplyingaround 3% of the current Dutch electricity demand. Ecowende plans to have thewind farm fully operational and commissioned by the end of 2026.

As Ecowende’s contractor, Van Oord is responsible fortransporting and installing the foundations, laying the inter‑array cables, and transporting and installing the windturbines at sea.

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