Offshore wind farms are typically designed with an anticipated service life of 25 years. Earlier it was assumed that the internal side of foundations was airtight from sea level to seabed level. If airtight, corrosion was assumed to cease when the oxygen present inside the foundation was consumed. This assumption has been shown not to be fully valid as both sea water and oxygen have access to the inside of the monopile under certain conditions, not the least on sites where large tidal variations exist (up to approx. 10m). This may result in active corrosion which can compromise the durability of the wind farm and reduce the service life if not prevented. The use of cathodic protection is one of the mitigation measures where premature corrosion is seen.
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