ARC marine and the EIC Accelerator: Reef Cubes Win a First Order

Offshore wind foundations are usually protected against seabed scour with imported rock, and ARC marine wants to replace it with habitat. The company, founded in 2015 by a group of divers in Torquay, Devon, makes Reef cubes: blocks of low-carbon, recycled material with rough surfaces and built-in shelters, designed to do the same job while giving fish, crabs and other species a habitat, according to WindInsider.

At the March 2022 cut-off the European Innovation Council selected ARC marine for a grant for RESP, Reef Enhancement Scour Protection. No Horizon Europe grant appears on CORDIS; the RESP project was co-funded by Innovate UK. In July 2025 RWE and ARC marine announced RESP as a full-scale pilot at the Rampion offshore wind farm, with a marine licence for more than 75,000 cubes. In December 2025 RWE and TotalEnergies ordered 66 large cubes for the OranjeWind farm in the Dutch North Sea. ARC Marine Ltd's accounts at Companies House show net liabilities of £4.16 million at the end of 2025.

Where ARC marine Stands Now

The OranjeWind cubes each weigh about 6,000 kg and stand 1.5 metres tall; they will be placed around 11 turbine foundations after the farm is completed, expected in early 2028. ARC marine's chief executive called the order the transition from pilot projects to commercial work. The Rampion pilot, 18 months in by July 2025, had completed stability testing at HR Wallingford, signed deployment contracts and carried out baseline ecological surveys.

The Technology: Protection That Doubles as Habitat

At Rampion the cubes come in 15 and 35 centimetre sizes and are laid as scour protection, targeting species such as European seabass, brown crab and common starfish. RWE said the OranjeWind cubes would stay in place for the wind farm's operating life. No results of ecological monitoring at Rampion have been published yet.

What the EIC Award Promised, and What the Record Shows

RESP set out to prove reef cubes could replace rock as scour protection. There is no EU project record on CORDIS. The UK-funded pilot has a licence, contracts and baseline surveys; the proof that the cubes protect the foundations and increase marine life over time is still to come.

1. Full-scale pilotUnder wayRampion, licensed.
2. Stability testingDoneHR Wallingford.
3. Commercial orderWonOranjeWind, 2025.
4. Measured biodiversity gainNot publishedMonitoring ongoing.

The Money

ARC Marine Ltd's accumulated losses rose from £2.70 million to £4.60 million in 2025. At year end it had £78,837 in cash against £5.72 million owed within a year. Its director wrote in the accounts that the company "is supported through loans from the Parent Company" and has assurances those facilities will continue for at least 12 months. The company files abridged accounts and does not publish turnover.

What Cannot Be Checked

Why Europe Should Care

ARC marine now has an order from RWE and TotalEnergies for a Dutch wind farm. The EIC's selection left no EU record, and the company itself runs on its parent's money.

The Verdict

ARC marine and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.