Hempel launches new primer to improve two coat system for wind towers

The new coating, HEMPADUR 4774D, will be used in Hempel’s well-known two-coat anti-corrosive system for wind turbine towers to address previous UV stability issues.

Hempel’s two-coat wind tower protection system dries up to 30% faster than equivalent three-coat systems, helping to eliminate production bottlenecks, increase throughput and reduce drying hall costs.

Since it was first launched in 2008, the system has effectively become the industry standard within two-coat paint systems for wind towers, and today around 70 per cent of producers using a two-coat system for wind towers choose Hempel.

Anders Voldsgaard Clausen, Group Wind Power Segment Manager at Hempel, comments: “By shifting to our two-coat system, wind tower producers can put a tower through the production process roughly 30% quicker, enabling them to produce more towers in each shift. The two-coat system also means lower VOC emissions and less paint and waste, which all contributes to reducing the overall cost of wind tower production.”

Developed specifically for wind towers, HEMPADUR 4774D will replace the combined primer and mid-coat currently used in Hempel’s two-coat system and will improve the system by addressing previous UV stability issues.

“Unlike the exterior, a wind tower interior usually only requires one or two coats with a primer/mid-coat. The interior is often exposed to UV rays while awaiting erection and previous epoxy primer/mid-coats could lose their white colour. HEMPADUR 4774D has been designed to maintain its colour in these conditions.” Anders Voldsgaard Clausen explains.

Hempel is the leading coatings supplier to the wind energy sector and supplies coatings to more than 50% of all wind turbines, towers and blades produced around the world.

According to Anders Voldsgaard Clausen, the improved two-coat system is the result of many years of experience in the industry. “Our new two-coat system has been developed through close work with some of the industry’s leading companies in order to reduce the overall cost of wind energy production.” he says.

HEMPADUR 4774D was released in April 2015 and is available worldwide.