Van Oord has been awarded the Jan Agema Award 2025 for its contribution to the offshore wind project Borssele III, IV and V. The jury praised the project for its technical innovation, societal relevance, and future-proof design, highlighting it as a powerful response to the urgent energy transition in the North Sea.
The award was presented on 9 October at the Waterbouwdag in the Jaarbeurs Utrecht by jury members Professor Bas Jonkman (TU Delft) and Wilma Klaren-Agema, daughter of Professor Jan Agema.
The Jan Agema Award, established by the Dutch Association of Hydraulic Engineers in honour of Jan Agema, encourages innovation in hydraulic engineering. The award is presented every five years to the most innovative project of the preceding period. For the first time, an offshore wind project was submitted and selected, marking a milestone in recognising sustainable energy solutions within the hydraulic engineering sector. Van Oord has now received the Jan Agema Award twice, having previously won in 2015 for the Second Maasvlakte project.
Also read: Van Oord and Ecowende kick off eco-fiendly scour protection
Applied innovations
The Borssele wind energy area (1400 MW), located off the coast of Zeeland, comprises five sites. Borssele V features several scalable and reusable innovations, including the slip-joint technique for fast, safe and maintenance-free foundation installation in deep waters. Oyster reefs have been integrated into the scour protection around the turbines to enhance seabed biodiversity.
Jury of the Jan Agema Award: ‘This project brings together everything the sector stands for: technical innovation, societal relevance and future resilience. The jury sees this wind farm as a powerful response to a pressing societal challenge: the transition to sustainable energy in the North Sea. At the same time, the project demonstrates that this transition offers opportunities for technical breakthroughs and international impact.’
Also read: Van Oord lands IADC Safety Award for gaskets with ears
Collaboration as key to success
Van Oord played a pivotal role as Balance of Plant contractor, with early involvement in both design and execution. Thanks to close collaboration with clients, research institutes and industry partners, the project was successfully delivered. Borssele illustrates how trust and integrated supply chain cooperation lead to sustainable innovation.
‘Offshore wind is vital for the future of sustainable energy,’ states Jan Willem Elleswijk, Project Director, Van Oord. ‘Strong collaboration and open communication between all parties are essential to realise these projects. It’s also crucial to actively involve young people in these developments, as their insights and ideas are of great value. After all, it’s their future we’re building.’
Also read: Van Oord reinforces Dutch coast on bio-LNG
Second place for Afsluitdijk reinforcement
The Afsluitdijk reinforcement project, carried out by construction consortium Levvel (Van Oord, BAM, Rebel and Invesis) on behalf of Rijkswaterstaat, was awarded second place.
Picture: From left to right – Baris Kibrit, Deputy Manager Cable Unit, Van Oord; Jan-Willem Elleswijk, Project Director, Van Oord; and Leon van der Meijden, Head of Engineering, Eneco Offshore Wind (photo by Van Oord).
