Hempel’s contribution to the booming Dutch renewables industry
Hempel has cemented its relationship with project owner TenneT by coating two of its offshore wind stations.
During its project with TenneT and HSM Offshore BV, Hempel has broken new ground in more ways than one. The Netherlands is giving offshore windfarms an ever-greater share in its energy mix. By 2023, the Dutch government intends to connect 3,500 MW of offshore wind power from Borssele, Dutch coast (west) and Dutch coast (north) to the mainland. TenneT is the developer and operator of the Dutch high-voltage grid on land and at sea, so it has been given the job of collecting this new energy and transporting it safely to shore.
The challenge
The North Sea is a harsh, corrosive environment, and as such the demands on coatings are high. The project owner wanted highly durable protection which would be fit for purpose for at least 25 years. Hempel had its work cut out to show that its coatings were able to outperform its competitors’ under such tough conditions. However, thanks to a real team effort from the Protective Sales Team and Global Key Account Management, we managed to pull it off.
The solution
A significant factor in our success was the procurement, project and technical support which we were able to offer TenneT and manufacturer HSM Offshore BV - but, of course, the coatings ultimately proved to be decisive. In fact, an interesting development arose out of some of our discussions with the customer. Together, both sides analysed the station in question and decided that certain zones would require a different system to the one detailed in the original plan. In this way, Hempel became a genuinely integral part of the design process. The coating selected for the substation was our Hempadur Multi-Strength GF 35840, an amine-adduct cured epoxy coating reinforced with glass flakes which offers hard, impact- and abrasionresistant protection against seawater.
The primer selected for the platform was Hempadur Avantguard 770, a versatile two-component, activated zinc epoxy primer for long-term protection of steel in severely corrosive environments. Our paint system meets NORSOK requirements.
In a happy coda to this project, Hempel won the job of coating the second substation for which HSM Offshore BV has responsibility – a good indication, no doubt, of the customer’s confidence in our work. Hempel will provide a further 40,000 litres of paint for this project.
In a happy coda to this project, Hempel won the job of coating the second substation for which HSM Offshore BV has responsibility – a good indication, no doubt, of the customer’s confidence in our work. Hempel will provide a further 40,000 litres of paint for this project.
