CED Teesside Event – Celebrating ‘Innovation and Collaboration’ in Corrosion Engineering.

On 24^th April 2025, a broad spectrum of corrosion professionals came together at the Net Zero Industry Innovation Centre (NZIIC) for the INSTITUTE OF CORROSION – Corrosion Engineering Division (CED) Working Day and Symposium – an event that proudly coincided with World Corrosion Awareness Day 2025 founded by the World Corrosion Organization (WCO).

It was a timely reminder that our work as corrosion engineers is not just technical – it’s vital. Corrosion may often be invisible, but its impact on infrastructure, safety, and sustainability is anything but. Raising awareness of these. Challenges are essential if we are to support the global energy transition. This year’s theme, “Innovations in Corrosion Engineering for Sustainable Energy Systems”, captured the importance of uniting our expertise to build a more reliable, low-carbon future.

Photo: Danny Burkle, Opening the ICorr CED Working Day and Symposium.

With over 40 attendees from across industry and academia, we shared technical insights, celebrated collaboration, and honoured excellence in the field.

Photo: Delegates for the ICorr CED Working Day

A Day of Learning, Innovation and Shared Purpose – Key Highlights Throughout the day, we heard from speakers across LBBC Baskerville, University of Leeds, TWI, OGC Energy, Scottish Power Renewables, and Corrpro Europe – each providing insights into how corrosion engineering is evolving to support sustainable energy systems.

Opening Remarks from Gari Harris – Net Zero Industry Innovation Centre.

Gari Harris, Director of the Net Zero Industry Innovation Centre, opened the day by setting a powerful and thought-provoking context around the global climate crisis and Teesside’s critical role in addressing it.

• Gari highlighted the stark message from the IPCC’s most recent reports — that we are now at a “final warning” stage, and swift, bold action is essential.

• Gari then explained the concept of transitional, physical, liability and reputational risks that businesses face if they don’t adapt to climate and carbon targets.

• He showcased Teesside’s incredible positioning as a hub for hydrogen production, CCUS infrastructure, and renewable energy innovation, backed by government Track 1 support. https://www.spglobal.com/commodity-insights/en/news-research/latest-news/energy-transition/100324-uk-government-awards-gbp22-bil-to-track-1-ccus-blue-hydrogen-projects

• Delegates learnt about NZIIC’s world-class labs, research collaborations, skills development work, and its mission to support both SMEs and large industries in scaling up decarbonisation.

• The presentation also outlined how NZIIC is leading on everything from green shipping corridors to direct air carbon capture (DAC), circular economy labs, and digital twin models for net-zero infrastructure.

Gari’s talk was a strong reminder that climate adaptation is no longer optional – it’s a strategic opportunity and Teesside, thanks to its geography, geology, and growing collaborative ecosystem, is uniquely placed to lead.

Technical Talk 1
Corrosion Testing Challenges in CCUS – Danny Burkle – LBBC Baskerville

Danny talked about the complexities of corrosion in dense-phase CO₂ environments and the urgent need for collaboration to improve testing methodologies, material selection, and predictive models. It is evident that no single organisation can solve this alone — we must work together to deliver safe and resilient infrastructure.

• Discussed corrosion challenges in Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS) environments.
• Highlighted failure risks, including hidden corrosion threats, and the critical role of autoclave testing
• Emphasised the importance of understanding localised corrosion, erosion-corrosion, and predictive modelling.
• Proposed new-generation autoclave testing solutions integrating real-time monitoring and AI-enhanced modelling.
• Stressed that collaboration across industry, academia, and equipment manufacturers is essential to meet the complex corrosion challenges faced in CCUS environments.
• Encouraged knowledge-sharing initiatives and closer partnerships to accelerate innovation and ensure the development of reliable corrosion mitigation strategies.
• Highlighted that no single organisation can solve these challenges alone, and collective effort will be critical to supporting the transition to a lower-carbon future.

Technical Talk 2
Investigating CO₂ Corrosion in Carbon Steel – Amber Sykes – University of Leeds

• Amber shared new findings on FeCO₃ protective layer formation using advanced electrochemical techniques, contributing to better corrosion rate predictions.
• Presented research on FeCO₃ protective layer formation and its impact on CO₂ corrosion rates.
• Used electrochemical techniques (EIS, LPR) to monitor corrosion under realistic conditions.
• Identified a significant reduction in corrosion rates due to FeCO₃ formation.
• Highlighted gaps in current mechanistic models and opportunities for further research.

Technical Talk 4
Technical Talk 4 – Lessons from Energy Transition Projects – Tuncay Kurtulan – OGC Energy

• Tuny brought case studies from CCS and hydrogen projects, showing how real-world impurity profiles and tailored corrosion assessments are reshaping the standards we use — and how to avoid “copy-paste” specifications.
• Presented case studies from major CCS and hydrogen projects (e.g., Porthos CCS, NZTC H₂ Backbone Link).
• Discussed pioneering corrosion risk assessments and standards contributions.
• Emphasised the need for bespoke material integrity strategies based on real operating data.

Technical Talk 5
Technical Talk 5 – Offshore Coatings Innovation – Pedro María Alonso Muñoz – ScottishPower Renewables

• Pedro introduced sustainable coating systems using recycled cork and low-VOC materials. These new systems offer both corrosion protection and alignment with net-zero goals through reduced maintenance and carbon impact.
• Focused on sustainable coatings for offshore corrosion protection.
• Introduced innovative coatings using recycled cork and low-VOC components.
• Shared testing methodologies and promising results from abrasion, salt spray, and offshore exposure tests.
• Aligned innovations with UK Net Zero goals and offshore maintenance cost reductions.

Technical Talk 6
Cathodic Protection for Renewables
– Zsolt Ronafalvi – Corrpro Europe

• Zsolt explored the emerging challenges of cathodic protection in hydrogen facilities, solar farms, and offshore wind.
• Shared practical insights into managing the significant AC/DC interference and corrosion risks through updated standards and smart monitoring.
• Discussed new challenges faced by cathodic protection systems in renewable energy sectors, including hydrogen plants, solar farms, and offshore wind.
• Addressed AC interference issues from new electrical infrastructure and their mitigation.
• Highlighted corrosion issues in solar farms, such as chlorine concentration, pH imbalance, and copper earthing effects.
• Proposed cathodic protection solutions like sacrificial anodes, ICCP systems, and use of decouplers.
• Examined offshore wind structures’ corrosion risks and the importance of ISO 24656:2022 and DNV standards.
• Shared design considerations, including MMO anodes, reference electrodes, TR units, armoured cables, and remote monitoring systems.
• Emphasised proactive monitoring and tailored CP designs to meet evolving net-zero infrastructure needs

Facility and Lab Tours

Two separate Tours showcased testing capabilities for carbon capture, hydrogen, smart energy systems, and recycling innovations.

Group 1: Tour of NZIIC facilities with Gari Harris.

Group 2: Tour of TWI laboratories with Chris Graham.

Recognising Excellence: The Paul McIntyre Award

A very special moment of the day was honouring Chris Williams PhD CEng FIMMM FICorr, as the 2024 Paul McIntyre Award recipient.

With over 30 years in corrosion engineering, Chris has made significant contributions to both international standards and the mentoring of future engineers. His reflections on proactive corrosion management and sustainable practices were a highlight of the day.

This award was presented by: ICorr President – Dr Yunnan Gao (PhD CEng CSci FIMMM FICorr) and honoured the legacy of Paul McIntyre, emphasising his impact on corrosion engineering standards and collaboration.

Yunnan introduced the 2024 recipient: Dr Chris Williams (bp).

Looking Ahead

As we face the challenges of climate change and energy transition, corrosion engineering plays a critical role in securing the future of sustainable energy systems. It was especially meaningful that our CED Working Day coincided with World Corrosion Awareness Day 2025, an arrangement that we hope to follow in future years.

This essential annual reminder underlines why events like ours are so important – not just to share technical innovations, but to raise broader awareness of corrosion challenges and the vital part corrosion management plays in infrastructure resilience, safety, and sustainability. If we are to build a lower-carbon world, we must also build a world that is protected, reliable, and enduring. Raising awareness across industries, governments, and the public is fundamental to this mission.

There’s more to come: Keep an eye out for the next edition of the ICorr Corrosion Management Journal, where a full write-up of the day’s discussions will be published.

Presentations from the event will also be uploaded soon to the ICorr members’ area on the website – a fantastic resource for those who want to revisit the content in more detail. https://www.icorr.org/corrosion-engineering-division/

I left the event feeling incredibly optimistic about what can be achieved when we come together as a community. Thank you once again to all the speakers, sponsors, organisers, and attendees who supported us and who made the day so special and especially our Event Sponsors: METEC Group, Corrocoat, Corrpro Europe, Duvine Ltd.