CORROSION and Amphibious Energy have announced the launch of the new ICCP-POD, an environmentally friendly alternative to using diesel generators to supply energy during the construction phase of wind turbines, and sacrificial anodes to protect turbine foundations against corrosion.
The ICCP-POD combines two advanced technologies. The EnergyPod, developed by Amphibious Enegy, is designed to be an easy-to-transport autonomous energy plant that uses sun, wind, batteries and intelligent electronics to provide sustainable energy during the 18-month construction of wind turbines, meaning that costly and environmentally unfriendly diesel generators are no longer required.
To protect against corrosion during this construction phrase, CORROSION developed compact Impressed Current Cathodic Protection (ICCP) units. By using an electronic current supplied by the EnergyPod, these represent an innovative eco-friendly alternative to sacrificial anodes, which discharge large quantities of metals and heavy metals into the water. When the wind turbines are installed and grid-connected, the energy supply for the ICCP system is switched from the EnergyPod to the wind turbine itself.
“CORROSION was the first company in the world to develop a cost-effective, easy-to-maintain and environmentally friendly anti-corrosion solution for wind turbines foundations,” Niels Ros, manager, offshore wind at CORROSION, said in a statement announcing the new product. “We are delighted that through this partnership with Amphibious Energy, we are also able to offer the same sustainable protection solutions during the construction phase of wind turbines.”
The ICCP-POD is designed to deliver substantial cost savings compared to a diesel generator. In addition, further savings can be realized in other ways. For instance, by installing uncoated foundations, foundations with a single base coat or utilizing less carbon steel (corrosion allowance), depending on customer needs and design boundaries.
“By partnering with CORROSION, we are able to bring two unique technologies together, which will drive down the costs for the offshore industry to protect their installations from corrosion in a 100% green way,” said Willem van der Merwe, director at Amphibious Energy. “This represents a big step forward in achieving net-zero operations for the offshore industry.”
In terms of environmental performance, CORROSION's ICCP unit provides major benefits. Over a 25-year period, CORROSION’s systems discharge approximately 1.5 million times less aluminum into the sea than traditional sacrificial anodes, the companies said. Furthermore, the EnergyPod is also completely recyclable and can be re-used several times over a period of five to 10 years, so that the costs will decrease even further.
