TWI is actively engaging with industry stakeholders, including wind farm developers, foundation fabricators, and coating suppliers to initiate the development of novel corrosion protection solutions based on Thermally Sprayed Aluminium (TSA) that have the potential to reduce the cost of offshore wind.
TWI has established itself as a world leader in the understanding and application of metallised coatings for the corrosion protection of offshore structures, having run a number of joint industry projects, primarily on behalf of TWI’s oil and gas sector members.
TSA is used extensively in the oil and gas industry on offshore platforms and in pipeline applications, and TWI now has a wealth of industrially relevant knowledge on the performance of such coatings that it is bringing to the renewable energy sector.
Offshore wind is growing at an extraordinary pace, with industry reports estimating that over the past five years an offshore wind foundation has been installed every 40 hours. In 2016 alone, 338 new turbines were grid-connected in Europe, and €18.2bn worth of projects reached a final investment decision. With the technology and the market maturing, the cost of offshore wind is steadily decreasing and may soon draw level with traditional power generation.
Replacing conventional corrosion protection, based on paint and sacrificial anodes, with a single coating of TSA provides a high reliability coating that requires less frequent maintenance and repair, and also reduces the cost of manufacturing foundations.
While often seen as an expensive coating option, TSA can offer significant savings during fabrication as there is no need for sacrificial anodes, secondary steelwork, or extended curing times for multiple coatings of paint. Despite the potential cost savings offered through the use of TSA, to date, the offshore wind sector has been reluctant to implement new coatings due to uncertainties surrounding performance in certain settings unique to offshore wind foundations.