Coating manufacturer Whitford are working with the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) to test various high-performance coatings within the harsh oceanic conditions in Orkney.
The long-term project will analyse existing and developmental coating products to assess their suitability for applications within the marine renewables industry, as well as for other offshore industries such as offshore wind, and oil and gas. For the initial stages of the project, Whitford have been testing coated panels and bolts in Stromness Harbour which can be seen on the side of the pier at low tide. Providing a good representation of a ‘splash zone’, the pier is intermittently exposed to air and immersed in the sea. The panels are therefore subject to a range of wet and dry conditions as the test pieces are submerged in line with the ebb and flow of the tide.
