RENEWABLE ENERGY
MAKING TOUGH DECISIONS
Laura Hall explains why the wind energy industry must start challenging the status quo
The wind sector must avoid complacency and adopt new approaches to
turbine protection T
he saying goes, “we often do as we have always done” and that may give security in both outcome and budget spend when it comes to
infrastructure maintenance, but it is also a complacency. A complacency that ‘what has always been done’ is the right thing to do. Our modern world is evolving, the demands on our resources are changing, and so are peoples’ expectations of how we look after those resources. Our commitment to protecting the future, for the planet and our people, especially our younger generations, must now be a critical part of our decision-making process. Whilst we work towards a net zero
future we must be realistic that there will be a combination of energy sources for some time to come, but what we can do is ensure that the infrastructure those existing energies use now is sustainable, by making it last longer, allowing time for the energy transition to develop.
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www.engineerlive.com Something we should be considering
is how we protect infrastructure and the role that protective coatings can bring to making things last. Many approaches follow what has
‘always been done’ when identifying a maintenance need. T e pre-approved repair is selected, personnel gathered, along with equipment and PPE. Blasting for surface preparation may well be conducted, followed by priming, painting and additional coats as needed. T en various contaminated wastes will be disposed of as required by local guidelines. But let’s consider blasting for surface
preparation – the very process can be hazardous to both the engineer and the environment, contaminants released into the air or sea, the access restrictive or challenging. It’s also an additional cost, taking time and equipment to complete. Now consider that the role of blasting
for surface prep is obsolete. No longer do we need to consider this a step in
the process; instead we use a wire brush, maybe a alcohol wipe, to clean down the asset. T e structure is ready for protection in a much safer, to both human and environment, way. T ere is nothing new about this, but
there are still far too many situations where blasting is a requirement.
COATINGS INSPIRED BY NATURE In 1997 Stopaq brought to market the WrappingBand technology, a polyisobutene-based chemistry that is inspired by nature. A coating with permanent adhesion that protects against moisture and contaminants and lasts for 30 years. T ink of the outer layers of a tree – the bark and the sap – its doing the same job of protecting the core so that nutrients can travel up from the roots to the top, allowing it to fl ourish and grow. Stopaq coating products don’t require blasting, instead it is the simple use of a wire brush and degreasing wipe. T e
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