Vicinay Marine, Tecnalia Develop Remote Offshore Mooring Corrosion Sensor

Vicinay Marine and Spanish applied research center Tecnalia have jointly developed a sensor designed to remotely monitor corrosion on offshore mooring lines, aiming to improve the safety, reliability and service life of offshore systems.

The companies said the sensor uses electrical resistance measurements to quantify section loss in mooring components in real time, model degradation trends and predict remaining service life.

The technology is targeted at offshore wind farms and other floating offshore systems, where corrosion remains a key challenge affecting the integrity and durability of chains and connectors exposed to harsh marine conditions.

The sensor has been validated at Tecnalia’s HarshLab floating test platform off the coast of northern Spain, which is used to assess technologies under real marine operating conditions.

“Corrosion is a key issue in the management of the structural integrity of mooring systems, as it directly influences the sizing, service life and maintenance strategies of critical elements, such as links and connectors.

“This sensor enables us to take a decisive step towards continuous and accurate monitoring of the degradation process, which will improve knowledge of actual in-service behaviour, optimise component design and thickness and support more efficient maintenance and cost management throughout the system’s service life,” said Aintzane Expósito, Head of Materials Department at Vicinay Marine Innovación.

The organizations said the system could reduce the need for costly physical inspections, improve predictive maintenance strategies and support earlier detection of degradation before critical failure levels are reached.

In addition, the technology could also be applied across other sectors requiring monitoring of submerged metallic infrastructure, including offshore wind, shipping and port facilities.