IN DETAIL
Good paint saves a lot of work
Withstand the rough
North Sea climate
The coating of a construction is not the first thing people tend to see as a top priority. But with an offshore wind farm that’s a different matter, quality coordinator Folkert Tazelaar explains. “That really has to be top quality, in order to last for the entire life cycle and so keep the operational costs of the wind farm as low as possible.”
A person who ensures onshore that the paintwork is in good order can benefit from that offshore for 25 years. Folkert comments: “That is why we are extra critical during the construction work of aspects such as pre-treatment, the environmental conditions during application, the thickness of the coats and any enclosures. We look at the sustainability and durability throughout the entire life of the installations. The coatings that we use are among the best in the world, and are resistant to extreme weather conditions, maritime conditions and UV.”
Every building needs maintenance. On land it is usually not a problem: put down scaffolding and get to work. At sea that’s difficult. And above all, very expensive. Therefore, the paint work gets special attention at Gemini. QA/QC coordinator Folkert Tazelaar explains why.
Those who fail to check these aspects carefully will ultimately be presented with the bill: “It’s far more difficult to apply coatings offshore. Plus you need specialised people for that, in Rope Access Teams. They can only apply the paints in good weather conditions. Naturally, we can’t avoid deploying them, for damage to coatings is inevitable when the OHVSs are being installed. Furthermore, the welds between the OHVS and the foundations have to be properly protected.”
‘We look at the
sustainability and durability throughout the entire life
of the installations.’