Emissions from corrosion protection systems of offshore wind farms: Evaluation of the potential impact on the marine environment

Highlights: • Offshore wind energy is emerging in European Seas and worldwide. • Corrosion protection is needed for the structural integrity of offshore facilities. • Galvanic anodes release high amounts of metals to the marine environment. • Anti-corrosion coatings are a potential source of organic substances. • Current data suggest a low environmental impact, but more research is necessary. - Abstract: Offshore wind energy is a fast growing sector of renewable energies worldwide. This will change the marine environment and thus, a wide range of environmental impacts of offshore wind farms are subject of current research. Here we present an overview about chemical emissions from corrosion protection systems, discuss their relevance and potential impact to the marine environment, and suggest strategies to reduce their emissions. Corrosion is a general problem for offshore infrastructures and corrosion protection systems are necessary to maintain the structural integrity. These systems are often in direct contact with seawater and have different potentials for emissions, e.g. galvanic anodes emitting substantial amounts of metals. Organic coatings may release organic substances due to weathering and/or leaching. Current assumptions suggesting a low environmental impact, but monitoring data is not sufficient to assess the environmental impact of this new source.