FoundOcean News - FoundOcean expands its subsea and offshore services with the introduction of Marine Growth Prevention and Control products
FoundOcean has been appointed as an exclusive agent by IEV International Limited (now a wholly-owned subsidiary of IEV Holdings Limited, a company listed on Catalist of the Singapore Exchange) to market their revolutionary Marine Growth Prevention and Control products in European waters.
Until now, controlling marine growth has been an expensive and time-consuming process. This revolutionary marine growth control solution offers energy operators one of the most cost-effective platform strengthening and life extension mechanisms for existing structures, and a cost-saving solution for the fabrication and installation of new structures. Over 26,000 products have been installed on approximately 400 new and existing offshore structures throughout Asia, Europe & America since 1990. See the products’ track record here.
Marine growth build-up on jackets of oil and gas platforms and offshore wind farm foundations has direct consequences: It adds static weight to the foundation, and it increases the diameter and the surface roughness of the members, thereby increasing the dynamic and hydrodynamic loadings associated with wave and tidal actions on the structure.
These factors need to be taken into consideration when designing the jacket to ensure its structural integrity and longevity; costly considerations which can be averted by designing the Marine Growth Prevention and Control product into the overall foundation design from the outset.
Steven Jack, Business Development Manager for the Marine Growth Prevention and Control product range at FoundOcean highlights that “using the Marine Growth Prevention and Control product avoids exposing divers to high pressure jet blasting or scraping off marine growth – both have an element of danger to the diver and structural protective coatings. The Marine Growth Prevention and Control product also works in all weather, something divers cannot do.”
The specially designed and patented apparatus is powered by natural ocean forces and their own buoyancy. The continuous sweeping motion contacts made by the rubber rollers against the substrate break down the marine colonisation process of microbial slime or micro-fouling, every minute of every day, thus permanently preventing the marine growth affixing to the members. This eliminates the need for periodic cleaning thereby substantially reducing cleaning costs. Cleaner members also make for speedier inspections. Technology and nature work effectively together to strengthen and protect offshore installations as well as port and harbour structures such as piers and jetties.
Find out more about the Marine Growth Prevention and Control products here.