Sacrificial anode cathodic protection offers cost-effective corrosion protection of submerged marine structures. However, it should be appreciated that longevity of the protection systems can only bc estimated with a limited degree of accuracy. To ensure a certain reliability, i.e. probability that a cathodic protection systcm will achicvc its design life, some intentional overcapacity must be included in the design. In contemporay design, specific parameters are defined with an intrinsic conservatism rather than using some overall design factor. The paper discusses how design parameters should be selected to provide adequate reliability, taking account of the additional investment cost for an overcapacity which may not be utilised on the one hand, and comparing this with the potential costs associated with increased monitoring and maintenance, including subsca retrofitting of anodes, if the design capacity initially installed proves to be insufficient. A comparison is made between pertinent design parameters in DNV RP B401 ( 1993), NACE RP0176-94 and NORSOK M-CR-503 (1994).
Kewvords: cathodic protection, sacrificial anodes. seawater. marine structures, sub sea pipelines, design, corrosion control, economy, cost analyses.