Protecting 144 offshore wind structures in the North Sea

Offshore wind turbines have a tough job.

But the steel structures supporting them arguably have an even tougher one.

The Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm, located around 23 kilometres off the Suffolk coast, required protection for its transition pieces in the challenging conditions of the North Sea.

For this project, 144 sets of transition pieces were fabricated and coated using Jotun Jotamastic 87 Glass Flake.

These components sit within an extremely demanding environment, where offshore steel can be exposed to moisture, salt and harsh atmospheric conditions for years.

Why the coating mattered

The transition piece is a critical part of an offshore wind installation.

Once the structures are in position, carrying out major maintenance work is significantly more complicated and expensive than it would be onshore.

That makes long-term corrosion protection an important part of the wider asset strategy.

Jotun's Jotamastic 87 Glass Flake was selected for the project, with the system designed to provide protection in demanding offshore conditions.

Protection built for offshore

Projects like Greater Gabbard demonstrate why offshore coating specifications need to go beyond simply choosing a product that offers corrosion protection.

The environment, expected service life, access for future maintenance and specific location of the steel all need to be considered.

For the transition pieces at Greater Gabbard, the coating system formed part of the protection strategy for infrastructure supporting a major UK renewable energy project.

144 structures. A North Sea environment. One serious requirement for long-term protection.

Industrial Coatings Ltd supplies high-performance Jotun protective coatings for offshore, energy, industrial steel and infrastructure applications.