Emissions from corrosion protection systems of offshore wind farms: Evaluation of the potential impact on the marine environment

Abstract

Offshore wind energy is a fast growing sector of renewable energies worldwide. This will change the marine environment and thus, a wide range of environmental impacts of offshore wind farms are subject of current research. Here we present an overview about chemical emissions from corrosion protection systems, discuss their relevance and potential impact to the marine environment, and suggest strategies to reduce their emissions. Corrosion is a general problem for offshore infrastructures and corrosion protection systems are necessary to maintain the structural integrity. These systems are often in direct contact with seawater and have different potentials for emissions, e.g. galvanic anodes emitting substantial amounts of metals. Organic coatings may release organic substances due to weathering and/or leaching. Current assumptions suggesting a low environmental impact, but monitoring data is not sufficient to assess the environmental impact of this new source.

Keywords: Coatings; Corrosion protection; Emissions; Environmental impact; Galvanic anodes; Offshore wind energy.