Van Oord in Romania: Reinforcing Eforie coastline

Van Oord is moving ahead with the coastal reinforcement works at the Romanian seaside resort of Eforie.

This is a coastal defence project in a tourist area in Romania. New groynes and beaches will be designed and the project includes environmental works.

The project’s goals are:

• making way for more nature-friendly and sustainable coastal defence alternatives;

• ensuring that this coastal town is protected from erosion by the waves of the Black Sea;

• boosting the tourism sector due to the new beaches.

The coastal reinforcement project is expected to be completed in 2023.

Part of the project is the construction of three hectares of sea grass.

Van Oord conducted a research recently to determine how to restore the seagrass at this location in the best way, taking into account the local conditions.

Seagrass beds are a very important biotope for marine ecology.

As a result of climate change, disease, coastal redevelopment and pollution, there is a worldwide decline in seagrass.

According to Van Oord, it is a worrying development because these small green plants have a very positive effect on the environment. They store carbon dioxide, keep sediment from washing away and help protect the coast.