DEME drives coastal offshore innovation

In the Netherlands, the Hof op Marken consortium, including DEME, continues work to reinforce the historic dyke protecting the island of Marken. Meanwhile, off the coast of France, DEME has completed the challenging installation of 61 XL-monopiles for the Îles d’Yeu and Noirmoutier offshore wind farm.

On Marken, preserving the island’s cultural identity while upgrading its flood defences has required precision engineering and environmental sensitivity.

The phased project follows the original dyke contours to protect heritage views, while advanced techniques and real-time drone monitoring ensure long-term stability on soft, vulnerable ground. Most construction is done from the water to reduce onshore disruption, with the upgraded dyke set to provide protection through 2078.

At sea, DEME’s jack-up vessel Innovation successfully completed the offshore wind foundation campaign under demanding conditions, deploying cutting-edge technology including a 350-tonne drill and the 60-metre-high MODIGA structure. Developed with Herrenknecht, these tools enabled drilling through rocky seabeds with high stability and safety, even in harsh offshore weather.

The French wind farm marks DEME’s second drilled foundation success in the country, following the Saint-Nazaire project, reinforcing the company’s leadership in deploying industry-first technology in challenging environments.