Arklow Bank
Deepwater installs ICCP anode system to protect wind farms in the Irish Sea
Seven offshore wind turbines had prematurely failing cathodic protection anodes.
Deepwater developed a completely new type of impressed current anode system.
The VSE Anode
Deepwater was commissioned by the operator of the Arklow Field to develop an anode retrofit system for the seven mono-piles there with low cathodic protection readings. The system had to function in the 8 m -10 m water depth and had to utilize the power from the turbine to run. As there was no existing technology to fit the requirements, Deepwater developed the VSE anode system to scour and self-bury, creating a sea water envelope beneath the sea floor. Within the envelope, an MMO anode is kept free from mud contamination, allowing it to output the maximum cathodic protection current, regardless of the tide above. The VSA was also designed with a low profile to minimizes the risk of snagging by fishing activities while the system silts over.
All together, the retrofit cathodic protection (CP) system consisted of:
• 7 x Vaulted Seawater Envelope Anode Systems (aka VSE)
• 7 x Transformer rectifiers
• 7 x DR-2 CD Monitors (part of the monitoring system)
