Guldager Offshore

Several thousand species of algae, bivalves, polypi and other organisms that are living in the water reproduce, develop and fasten on surfaces with favourable conditions.

Shellfish enter the cooling system as larvae. They are microscopic, and with favourable living conditions - temperature, water circulation, feed, etc. - they fasten onto the surfaces and develop.

The growth, especially bivalves, may under favourable conditions double its biological material in less than 24 hours. We therefore like to emphasize that in only a short period of time bivalves, etc. may choke even big pipes, whenever the conditions of growth are favourable.

Guldager's anti-fouling plants add copper and aluminium to seawater. To prevent the growth of these organisms approximately 10 µg of univalent copper per litre is adequate. Univalent copper ions Cu+ are developed at the anode, and they react with the content of oxygen in the seawater, thus developing univalent copper oxide. This compound is labile, and only in a few minutes it is transformed into the much less active bivalent copper oxide, which is almost dissoluble in seawater with a neutral pH.

The efficiency of the copper oxide treatment is increased through simultaneous decomposition of aluminium, also by electrolysis. The process produces aluminium hydroxide hydrate, which is known for its absorbing effects. The aluminium, due to the presence of copper, also prevents an increased corrosion in the system.