ECOCAP is an R&D program “Environmental integration of MRE” supported by France Energies Marines (FEM, https://www.france-energies-marines.org ). It aims to evaluate the chemical risk of the elements released by cathodic protection systems (with GACP galvanic anodes or PCCI imposed current) and anticorrosion paints on the marine environment. These protections are used in all industrial sectors in the marine environment, whether in port areas, on transport ships or even on offshore platforms for gas or oil extraction. With the growth of the offshore wind market in France, the question of the potential impact of cathodic protections on the environment is emerging and it is put forward by the French public authorities, as well as by civil society. This translates into a strong expectation of public authorities, MRE developers and civil society to obtain scientifically verified evidence of a limited impact of these anticorrosion protections on the marine environment.
For the first time, a wide range of experimental toxicity tests will be conducted in the laboratory on different marine species covering different trophic levels in order to evaluate the potential synergistic or antagonistic impacts of cocktails of elements from GACP and PCCI on marine organisms. At the same time, a hydrodynamic model applied to different case studies of MRE parks will make it possible to simulate the dispersion of the elements diffused in the marine environment. The collected data will feed into a chemical risk assessment carried out according to the REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals) technical guide described by ECHA (European Chemicals Agency, 2016). All the results will then be used to feed a more holistic approach to the impact of contaminants on marine food webs. For this, a trophic model will be adapted to study the trophic transfer of contaminants with a first application on aluminum from GACP.
The project will publish a report of recommendations which will be available to the MRE sector concerning the best practices for the anticorrosion protection of offshore MRE infrastructures. The ECOCAP project will also contribute to the development of new standardized protocols for environmental impact studies that will allow the MRE sector to have additional tools for assessing water quality.
