Can solve demanding maintenance

Corrosion challenges on facilities can in some cases be very demanding to have maintained. Now both preventive surface treatment and maintenance work can be carried out to a greater extent with the help of new and efficient robotic solutions with pre-treatment and application of Stopaq.

The new  climbing robot for automatic application of the corrosion protection streamlines the maintenance work, and reduces challenging and burdensome work tasks.

- We continue to further develop our maintenance services in accordance with our customers' expectations and in line with our strategy, says CEO of Beerenberg, Arild Apelthun.

Key to sustainable development

Beerenberg's expertise from the oil and gas industry is an important key to sustainable development. With the acquisition of the technology company Remotion, the company's competitiveness has been further strengthened in this area.

The use of robotics and modern technologies in industrial insulation and surface maintenance are just a few examples of how we work to reduce our carbon footprint, Apelthun adds.

Effective robot assistance on risers

An example of demanding maintenance work that can now be solved effectively with robotic assistance are the risers on Troll B, which require access to the underside of the platform and all the way down to the sea surface. This is an area where there would normally be a need to erect large scaffolding to be able to provide satisfactory access to contractors when surface treatment of a larger area. The scaffolding or parts of scaffolding must be covered very well to avoid emissions of blown sand and waste containing microplastics. Covering of scaffolding in areas with exposed exposure to external influences from, for example, wind and waves, often has to be removed and refitted when the weather conditions change.

Maintenance in areas with demanding access and increased exposure to weather conditions is therefore often postponed as the cost of conventional construction becomes too great.

First out with the Stopaq solution

Beerenberg is thus the first to come up with a solution for applying the corrosion protection Stopaq with robotic solutions, and the process is in accordance with both NORSOK requirements and customer requirements (Equinor).

- The idea to find a better solution for the manual "wrapping" operation came up in January, the project started in February and now in July we have put the robot into operation, says general manager Morten Urrang in Remotion. - It shows that we can quickly deliver good and effective solutions, he says.

The Stopaq system, which ensures corrosion protection and preservation, also reduces the need for maintenance by extending the life of the surface protection. The properties and possibilities of use of Stopaq in combination with automated solutions are an important key to cutting the maintenance backlog in demanding areas.

The risers on Troll B, which have now been maintained and applied with a preservation system, should initially not need maintenance for the next 30 years, which is two to three times longer than the expected lifetime of painted surfaces in a similar environment, says engineer and TMR manager in Beerenberg Kristian Henriksen.

Expertise important

By now being able to link technical expertise from maintenance and the ISO industry together with the technology expertise in Remotion in the development phase and further follow the equipment in operation, this will contribute to us constantly having the opportunity to make sure-fire improvements so that equipment and working methods are optimised.

Such a multidisciplinary environment will contribute to being able to solve far more maintenance challenges in the future, and at the same time also directly contribute to a reduced burden on our personnel and the external environment. A basic prerequisite for a new technology solution to be used is that it helps to remove or reduce the impact the task would normally have on personnel and the external environment. For example, all waste produced in connection with the work operation must be collected to ensure zero discharge to the sea, says Henriksen.

- Even in the splash zone, where the water moves up and down, we now have the opportunity to develop good solutions together with Remotion on the team, he adds.