Effects of Dredged Material Disposal in the Eems

The navigational channel between the Eemshaven and the North Sea needs to be dredged regularly to remain accessible to seagoing vessels. The dredged sediment is disposed of at various disposal sites, which may have an impact on the local ecology. To assess these effects, flow conditions and sediment concentrations were measured at a disposal site during sediment disposal operations. Based on these measurements and a numerical modelling study, WaterProof assessed whether sediment disposal at location P0 could have significant adverse effects on the ecology.

Research into Scour Pits

Offshore wind farms use different types of foundations depending on the site conditions. The most commonly used foundation types are monopiles, gravity-based structures and jacket foundations. In collaboration with Leo van Rijn, WaterProof investigated the expected dimensions of scour pits around offshore wind turbine foundations. The study combined physical scale experiments carried out in WaterProof’s flow and sediment basin with numerical modelling.

Impact of EMF and Underwater Sound on Harbour Porpoises

Export cables are used to connect offshore wind farms to onshore substations, from where the electricity is fed into the national power grid. Electromagnetic fields (EMF) are generated around buried export cables as a result of the electrical current flowing through them. These EMF may potentially affect marine life. The magnitude of these fields and their potential impact are still largely unknown. We therefore work with several partners on different measurement and research projects to better understand and assess these effects. Research into the potential relationship between EMF and harbour porpoise presence within the Borssele offshore wind farm is one example.

Long-Term EMF Measurements

Around buried export cables connecting offshore wind farms to the mainland, electromagnetic fields (EMF) are generated by the electrical current flowing through the cables. These EMF may potentially affect marine life. The magnitude of these fields and their potential impact are largely unknown. To gain a better understanding of these fields, we developed an autonomous EMF measurement station capable of continuously measuring EMF with nanotesla-level accuracy.

Effects of Electromagnetic Fields on Harbour Porpoises

The installed export cables that connect offshore wind farms to the mainland generate electromagnetic fields (EMF) due to the amount of electricity flowing through the cables. These EMF may potentially affect marine life in the immediate vicinity of the cables. To determine and better understand the potential effects of EMF on the acoustic activity of harbour porpoises, we work together with Wageningen Marine Research (WMR) and Witteveen+Bos on various measurement campaigns and analysis studies.

Underwater Sound in the Wadden Sea

In the Wadden Sea, we measure underwater sound generated by different types of vessels to better understand its effects on this unique ecosystem. There is still limited knowledge about sound propagation in very shallow water in particular. By measuring sound at carefully selected locations – from intertidal flats to deeper channels – we gain insight into how far sound can travel through the Wadden Sea and what role different vessels play in this.

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