This is a particularly pressing problem along the east coast of England where Royal HaskoningDHV has been tasked with designing coastal protection for the nationally important Bacton Gas Terminal. Taking inspiration from the Dutch, a sandscaping solution has been designed. It will be the first such project in the UK and outside of the Netherlands.
This sustainable solution uses the power of the sea to naturally shift large quantities of sand down a coastline providing flood and coastal protection to critical infrastructure and also to neighbouring communities - thus building with nature.
After developing various options we saw the unique potential of using the innovative sand engine solution, as hard solutions such as concrete groynes would inevitably create more problems further down the coast.
Implementing the first sand engine project outside the Netherlands, will not only protect the terminal from cliff erosion in a 1 in 10,000 per year storm, but has the added benefit of protecting the villages of Bacton and Walcott. It could lead to similar approaches being implemented elsewhere along the UK coastline in the future.