Silent installation of offshore wind farms with investment in GBM Works

Style and sustainable construction at sea 

The offshore wind market is rapidly expanding and monopiles – the foundations of wind turbines – are becoming larger. However, traditional pile drivers generate a lot of underwater noise, which is harmful to harbour porpoises and other marine creatures. As a result, developers are increasingly only allowed to build using quieter installation techniques. 

GBM Works, a spin-off from TU Delft – developed the Vibrojet® technology, which combines vibrations with water jets to drive monopiles into the seabed. This reduces noise levels by up to 63 percent and can also save time and costs during the construction of wind farms.  

Investment in challenging market conditions 

At a time when the offshore wind sector faces high costs and reluctance from private financiers, Invest-NL has chosen to invest. The funding enables GBM Works to demonstrate the technology in practice at Ecowende (Hollandse Kust West VI), early 2026. Work is also underway on a partially reusable installation machine and on further developing the technology for different seabed types. 

“Offshore wind is an essential pillar of the energy transition, and GBM Works’ Vibrojet® technology makes this possible in a much more sustainable way. At a time when the offshore wind sector is under cost pressure and ecological requirements are becoming stricter, we find it crucial to support innovations that remove these barriers. That’s why we are proud to help GBM Works scale up their groundbreaking solution,” says Wouter van Westenbrugge, Senior Investment Manager at Invest-NL.