Steelpaint coating breakthrough in Wilhelmshaven dock gate renewal
The Wilhelmshaven Sea Lock is exposed to salt corrosion, tidal erosion and abrasive silt, requiring the highest levels of protection (Source: Steelpaint)
Steelpaint has completed a major corrosion protection project on the Great Sea Lock at Wilhelmshaven, applying coatings to 26,000m² of steel on one of the world’s largest sluice gates.
Measuring 60m long, 20m high and 10m deep, the 1,700 tonne gate controls access to Germany’s only deep-water port. The work marks a key milestone in a project that began in 2018.
Steelpaint’s single-component polyurethane Stelpant system was chosen after a two-component epoxy from another supplier proved unsuitable for cold, humid conditions. The coating can cure at temperatures down to -5°C and humidity up to 98%, allowing Muehlhan Germany GmbH and Hermann Maschinenbau GmbH to continue application work through winter for port authority WNA Hannover & WSA Weser-Jade-Nordsee.
The coating package comprised a 75-μm zinc-rich primer (Stelpant-PU-Zinc) and two 225-μm coats of Stelpant-PU-Combination 300, providing corrosion and abrasion resistance in aggressive marine conditions. The system is certified by the Federal Waterways Engineering and Research Institute in Karlsruhe for use in hydraulic steel structures under DIN EN ISO 12944-5.
“This was one of the largest and toughest projects we have been involved in the last few years, but it showed exactly what our technology can do,” said Fynn Baumfalk, key account manager at Steelpaint.
Further coating and hot work are planned before full commissioning in 2026.
