As renewable energy capacity grows, protecting those assets and extending their working life becomes increasingly important. Large offshore metal structures need more than paint and sacrificial anodes alone if they are to withstand long-term exposure to harsh marine conditions.
Working with a corrosion protection specialist, Powerstax helped develop an Impressed Current Cathodic Protection (ICCP) system that now supports the protection of offshore energy infrastructure.
By raising the electrical potential of the surrounding seawater above that of the wind turbine structure, the rate of corrosion is dramatically reduced. This helps extend the life of each turbine and supports lower long-term costs for renewable energy generation.
The system’s PLC continuously monitors the charge in the surrounding water via reference electrode feedback and controls the level of current into the sea as needed.
The solution is based on a KraftPowercon rectifier, adapted by Powerstax to meet the specific demands of ICCP. Its modular design also provides the reliability required for continuous protection in a demanding offshore environment.
Because of the installation location, Powerstax built and fully tested the system in-house before carefully dismantling and packing it in sections. With small access hatches offshore and no lifting equipment available, the 200kg system had to be transported by boat, carried up ladders and manoeuvred through tight spaces inside the turbine tower before being reassembled and commissioned on site.
Today, around 33 wind turbine towers generating clean energy benefit from round-the-clock cathodic protection, with Powerstax playing an important part in making that possible.
At Powerstax, we custom build power supplies for ICCP. Whether you need to protect large structures in the sea or smaller structures in the ground, Powerstax can build a PSU for your needs.
Contact Powerstax with your ICCP power requirements to see how we can help protect your assets!