Specially formulated for offshore wind towers, Hempadur 47300 is a low-solvent epoxy mid-coat offering vastly improved curing times for manufacturers, the company said. The coating can be handled just four hours after application at 20°C, compared to an average of five hours for standard equivalent coatings, it claims.

According to Anders Voldsgaard Clausen, Group Power Generation Segment Manager at Hempel, the new product enables manufacturers to reduce production line bottlenecks and increase line speeds – which could lead to significant cost reductions.

“The offshore wind energy industry is looking to lower costs in every part of the value chain, including productivity in the tower manufacturing stage,” said Clausen. “The curing time of Hempadur 47300 means manufacturers can achieve a faster production flow. As a result, they can coat more towers each shift and use less energy to dry the towers – which will help drive down the cost of each unit.”

Hempadur 47300 is approved and certified according to Norsok M-501, system 1, said Hempel. It can be applied with airless spray and has a volatile organic compound content of just 190 grams per litre, which means very little VOC is released during application.

“As well as enabling wind tower producers to handle tower parts quickly, Hempadur 47300 will also help reduce emissions from their operations, which is an important consideration for many producers in this industry,” said Clausen.