Decarbonising hydropower with industrial coatings and repair composites

Belzona has a portfolio of protective coatings and repair composites that have been used to improve the efficiency and performance of hydropower assets for decades. These can play a key role in the decarbonisation of the sector, driving the industry towards a net zero future.

While the environmental benefits of hydropower far outweigh fossil fuel alternatives, like most alternative energy sources, hydropower is not without its carbon footprint. Indeed, all energy sources, even renewables, produce carbon emissions in their lifecycle, due to the emissions caused by their manufacture, construction and operation.

The need to mitigate this carbon footprint somewhat ratchets up when considering the huge role hydropower is set to play in supporting a net zero emissions by 2050 pathway (in line with The Paris Agreement).

While it is essential that hydropower capacity ‘doubles’ by 2050, one way of increasing this capacity is by modernising ageing plants. Industrial protective coatings and epoxy repair composites play a fundamental role in this, which in turn supports the decarbonisation of the hydropower industry.

By investing in this polymeric technology, aged assets can be repaired, protected and improved for the long term. This process successfully helps to mitigate the carbon footprint of hydropower facilities as it breathes new life into assets that would otherwise be decommissioned, replaced or sent to landfill.

Belzona has a portfolio of protective coatings and repair composites that have been used to improve the efficiency and performance of hydropower assets for decades. Based on the level of erosion resistance required, the epoxy paste, Belzona 1111 (Super Metal) and composite repair polymer, Belzona 1311 (Ceramic R-Metal), can be specified for rebuilding damage and restoring efficiency in areas such as turbines, wicket gates and turbine casings.

The efficiency improving capabilities of these systems can be demonstrably identified in the two-part epoxy coating, Belzona 1341 (Supermetalglide). With this high-performance coating, the efficiency of fluid handling equipment, such as pumps, can be increased by up to 7% on new equipment and up to 20% on refurbished equipment. 

The two-part polyurethane resin, Belzona 2141 (ACR-Fluid Elastomer), can be deployed in areas that are particularly subjected to high levels of cavitation, such as Kaplan turbine blades. This system offers an outstanding level of protection against cavitation at ultra-high velocities (up to 115 knots with no damage).

Belzona’s range of polymeric systems can be specified in the following application areas, amongst others: turbines, penstock gates, generators, spiral casings, draft tubes, transformers, powerhouses, control valves, dams, stilling basins and spillways.

By investing in industrial protective coatings and epoxy repair composites, the lifespan of hydropower assets can be considerably prolonged. In turn, this supports more sustainable operations within hydropower facilities and, therefore, helps to mitigate the carbon footprint of the industry.