One way for offshore wind developers to lower installation and operations costs is to look for manufactures and marine installation companies that offer innovative technologies. One way would be to eliminate costly steel foundations for offshore turbines. Saltwater is high in oxygen making it naturally corrosive to steel. Cathodic protection (CA) is necessary to safeguard steel foundations from erosion. The cost of a CA system requires regular monitoring, periodic maintenance, a reliable external power source, and methods for detecting stray current interference. Using new materials that do not require CA may lead to faster and less costly construction and deployment methods.
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