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INNOVATIONS: PRESENT&FUTURE
Splash Zone Protection for Offshore Wind Turbines Thomas Martin Belzona Polymerics Ltd. – Harrogate, United Kingdom
tmartin@belzona.com
The offshore wind turbine industry spends big when it comes to
the surface. The coating layers are applied by skilled, experienced
corrosion mitigation, and no wonder, considering the severity of the
application technicians. Tightly controlled quality procedures ensure
offshore conditions faced by the turbines over their design life.
the coating manufacturer’s specifications are followed to the letter. Rigorous inspection ensures a finish to the highest standard, defect
Corrosion mitigation in the design phase
free, and ready for service. And to top it off, this usually takes place in
For the steel parts of the structures, this means a protective coating.
a temperature and humidity-controlled environment, free of dust and
During the design phase of any offshore asset, careful consideration is
contamination.
given to coating selection, with stringent requirements and exhaustive test campaigns, in search of the highest available protection.
Splash zones – common problem area
The same level of care is given during the application of the coating.
But despite best efforts, no system can be infallible, and inevitably issues
The substrate surfaces are prepared to industry standards; checked,
will occur in service, leading to the need for corrective action. Once such
corrected, and checked again, before a drop of coating touches
area, which commonly suffers with corrosion issues, is at the water line,
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N.34 - 2020 JUNE - ipcm® Protective Coatings