Corrosions and Coatings Q&A

World Pipelines (WP): Looking ahead to 2026, what are the major corrosion and integrity challenges pipeline operators are bringing to you most often? Are these challenges different from what you were hearing five or ten years ago?

Winn & Coales (Denso) Ltd (Denso): We have existed as a business since 1883; we take the long view. The much-awaited arrival of the hydrogen economy is following the same pattern of energy transition as the last 100 years. UK electricity generation in that period has seen considerable upheaval. But with each successive technological change the period of technological induction from initial onset to widescale adoption has spanned about 30 years. Of course, existing natural gas consumption is not only in electricity generation but is spread across domestic, commercial/industrial and transport sectors as well. The opportunities for hydrogen substitution face considerable efficiency, safety, and infrastructure challenges especially in domestic and transport use sectors. It is highly commendable that pipeline operators strive to use existing infrastructure for new purposes. This not only makes economic sense but helps contribute to sustainability goals. We are actively working to support these new developments as well as ensuring continued support for existing requirements.

WP: How have changing regulatory pressures, climate considerations, and the rise of carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS)/H₂ projects shaped operator expectations of coating performance?

Denso: The rise of CCUS/H₂ will require the completion of many engineering validations to ensure the suitability of the existing pipeline network and the new additions to be incorporated within it. We feel that it is essential that coating manufacturers are included in these engineering validations to ensure a holistic view is taken of the use of coatings in a CCUS/H₂ network.

We have been asked, “Are your coatings hydrogen ready?”, however, this is not a simple question to answer, and anyone claiming that it is should be asked for justification. The question is not just on the effect of hydrogen on the coating, for example, but on how the use of the pipeline will change: what temperatures will it now operate at? Will new operating pressures potentially create temperature changes, or similar, that were previously unexpected? Laboratory testing combined with field validation is a proven way to demonstrate the suitability of a coating for the intended purpose and this should be widely undertaken. While international and national standards also help shape development of coatings, these often follow developments in the market, rather than lead the market to the developments. As a company we are committed to assisting pipeline operators in achieving their objectives through collaboration.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/equipment-and-safety/30012026/corrosions-and-coatings-qa/