Anode installation at Burbo Bank offshore wind farm

James Fisher Marine Services* installed Cathodic Protection across 25 individual assets located at Burbo Bank, an offshore wind farm operated by Dong Energy – now Ørsted.

The installation of sacrificial anodes onsite helped prevent internal galvanic corrosion, saving the client time and money in asset maintenance.

Anode installation at Burbo Bank offshore wind farm

The Challenges

Dong Energy – rebranded to Ørsted in 2017 -required support from James Fisher Renewables (JF Renewables) in implementing cathodic protection across 25 unique assets at its large offshore wind farm, Burbo Bank.

To prevent galvanic corrosion within the assets, sacrificial anodes needed to be sourced from an external supplier and manufacturer before operations could begin.

Specialist knowledge and skill would prove essential in transporting and installing the sacrificial anodes safely, efficiently, and cost-effectively across all assets.

The Solution

In planning and consultation with Dong Energy (now Ørsted) and manufacturers, Impalloy, JF Renewables acquired data from the 25 individual assets to design a custom strategy detailing how the sacrificial anodes were to be installed.

To ensure maximum safety during the project, JFRenewables’ specialist installation team preassembled the sacrificial anodes and their data capture system onshore before moving them to the offshore site.

The team finalised their plan with a revised schedule, which detailed the loading, prepping, and installation of the anodes across all assets simultaneously.

The results and benefits

Having the operational equipment prepared in advance allowed highly skilled JF Renewables’ rope access technicians to be deployed onto the wind farm to complete the operation efficiently and with care.

Despite the complexity of the project, each of the 25individual assets were successfully fitted with 24 anodeseach - all suspended at unique pre-determined heights dependant on the asset’s requirements – achieving cathodic protection at all locations.

JF Renewables aided in the reduction of costs for Dong Energy (now Ørsted) in the long-term maintenance of its offshore assets, producing results with the utmost safety throughout all technical procedures.

*A James Fisher Renewables legacy brand

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