Ecowende has made the first ecological datasets from its 760 MW Hollandse Kust West VI offshore wind farm in the Dutch North Sea publicly available through HUB Ocean’s Ocean Data Platform.
The data comes from multi-parameter probes installed on passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) frames at the wind farm, as well as vertical profiles collected during monitoring visits. The measurements cover oxygen, chlorophyll, pH, water temperature, turbidity and salinity, providing information on underwater environmental conditions.
Two PAM frames, located in the northern and southern parts of the wind farm, have been collecting continuous measurements close to the seabed since August 2024. The vertical profiles complement these measurements by capturing conditions throughout the water column.
Ecowende said the datasets are being shared according to the FAIR principles (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable), allowing researchers and other experts to combine them with other ocean datasets.
The data-sharing initiative comes as Hollandse Kust West VI moves into the final stages of construction. The first turbine was installed in May, following completion of the 52 monopile foundations and inter-array cable installation. Van Oord also completed the installation of 300,000 tonnes of nature-inclusive scour protection at the site in July.
The wind farm delivered its first power to the Dutch grid in July, and full commissioning is expected by the end of 2026.
Ecowende, a joint venture between Shell, Eneco and Chubu Electric Power, is building Hollandse Kust West VI approximately 53 kilometres off the Dutch coast near IJmuiden. The project will comprise 52 Vestas V236-15 MW turbines and is designed to incorporate a range of measures aimed at reducing its impact on marine ecosystems. These include low-noise foundation installation, nature-inclusive scour protection, fish habitat features and measures to reduce bird and bat collisions. Seven turbines will have one red-painted blade as part of a study into whether increased rotor visibility can reduce bird collisions.
Ecowende said additional datasets covering species, ecological processes and other environmental parameters will be added to the Ocean Data Platform as its monitoring and research programme progresses.