By: Ben Rowland, Induron Protective Coatings
As the United States and the rest of the world’s electrical infrastructure grid is aging, it’s imperative we start addressing these structures in a manner that can substantially increase the life cycle of these assets. Induron Protective Coatings is an industry leader in high performance coatings with particular proven expertise in corrosion control in Power Transmission & Distribution applications.
Induron’s Induraguard 9200 is a key product, employed by utilities to refurbish aging galvanized lattice leg transmission towers and monopoles. This system provides:
- The lowest-cost per application
- The most efficient and fastest system to apply
- The least environmental impact of the available methods for refurbishment
Because of these advantages, Induraguard 9200 and this technology have been the primary system for extending the life of these structures for over 50 years. Typically, the OEM applied galvanization of lattice transmission towers has a service life of around 50 years, being highly dependent on the environment, which it is in service. In benign environments, this can be a conservative number, but in aggressive environments, this number can be drastically less. With almost 80 percent of the grid infrastructure having been erected prior to 1990, utilities are facing imminent pressure to decide how to support their existing infrastructure in order to avoid the revenue loss that comes with failing towers and potential outages.
Plus, recent favorable regulatory changes are making it possible for utilities to account differently for the purchase of corrosion control systems. They can capitalize them as a “substantial addition,” which is a game changer for the industry. This allows the utilities to be much more cost and time efficient in maintaining the existing grid, which ultimately benefits the rate payers themselves.
This also comes at a time when utilities are under increasing pressure to lower their environmental impact as businesses prioritize ESG efforts under increased government scrutiny. Throughout all phases of the refurbishment of these structures, the Induraguard 9200 system is the least environmentally impactful solution available. Everything from mobilization of crews, to surface preparation/containment, to the product itself, helps to form a sustainable, environmentally-friendly solution.
Contact us to find out more about how we can successfully help extend the life cycle of these vital assets.