1. Stray Current Mitigation & Cathodic Protection Regulation Pipeline Corrosion Management seminar Melbourne 29 June Peter Wade Manager Electrolysis Mitigation

2. What is Electrolysis
Electrolysis is a term used for corrosion relating to the effects from Stray (DC) Electrical Currents on buries metallic assets
The 2 main sources of Stray Electrical Currents are:
From Trains and Trams
From Cathodic Protection (CP) systems

3. Electrolysis Mitigation Section
Energy Safe Victoria (ESV) has the legislative powers in the State of Victoria to ensure the protection of underground and underwater structures from the corrosive effects of stray electrical currents. In discharging this responsibility, ESV is advised by the Victorian Electrolysis Committee (VEC).
The VEC is a government appointed committee consisting of 8 members representing: ESV; Train; Tram; Gas; Water; Telecommunications; Electricity; & Oil industries. (Est. 30 August 1927)

4. Unique section of ESV Two distinct roles: Customer Service Role:
Balance/test/inspect/calibrate the Electrolysis Mitigation systems to protect all underground metallic assets
Unbiased/independent adjudicator
Regulatory Role (Electricity Safety Act):
Ensure Train and Tram operators comply with their obligations to minimise stray currents
Ensure CP owners and operators don’t interfere with 3rd party assets

5. Legislative Framework

6. Stray Traction Current Corrosion
Corrosion Occurs

7. Electrolysis Drainage System

8. Anodic – Corrosion occurring Cathodic – Reduced Corrosion
Stray Current Effects
Anodic – Corrosion occurring
Cathodic – Reduced Corrosion

9. Electrolysis Drainage Bond
880 Electrolysis drainage bonds, inspected each month, with 1,200 connections to individual pipelines/cables
Approx. 300km Electrolysis Drainage feeders

10. Thyristor Drainage Unit (TDU)
87 TDU’s installed within Train and Tram substations, tested and calibrated every month

11. Tram network

12. Train network

13. Electricity Safety Act 1998 - Sect 93
Operation of cathodic protection systems
(1) The owner of a cathodic protection system must not operate or allow another person to operate that system unless it is registered by Energy Safe Victoria in accordance with the regulations.
(2) The owner of a cathodic protection system must ensure that the system is operated in accordance with—
(a) this Act and the regulations; and
(b) any conditions to which the registration is subject.

14. Registered CP systems Numbers of registered systems:
Galvanic Anodes = 15,700
Impressed Current Units = 1,300
Total = 17,000
There are 3 fee categories for registration:
Current O/P
Fee*
No. Registered
Period
<250mA
$134.48
14,300
Until withdrawn
250mA – 2A
$336.58
2,000
>2A
$760.11
700
10 years
*Based on government gazetted fee units

15. Galvanic Anodes

16. Cathodic Protection systems
1st CP system in Australia
-1935 St Georges Rd, Northcote
- MMBW pipes

17. Interference from Impressed Current Cathodic Protection Unit
CORROSION OCCURS

19. ESVConnect

20. ESV Connect

21. CP applications
Demo Purposes only

22. CP Application

23. CP Application Review Ability to:
Pre-populate information from your User Profile
Copy previous applications
Save and complete later
Mandatory fields and attachments so you don’t forget to include important information
All on your mobile device

24. Consultations Report
Important to consult with all 3rd party structure owners (Affected Parties) to see whether they have objections to your installation
Testing for interference may be required prior to gaining registration approval
The Code of Practice recommends 20 working days notice for them to respond
Unless this is complied with your application could be delayed

25. Certificate of Registration
1 CoR each for Owner, Contractor, & ESV File

26. Manage your CP systems Status of current applications
Links to other interactions with ESV
Overview of your registered systems
Highlights when renewal is required

27. Manage your CP systems Ability to: Renew; Change; Cancel; &
Print Certificates
Notify Date of Operation

28. CP Regulations Revision due 2019
Opportunity to re-define what a “Prescribed Systems” is
What should be exempt?
Is a Provision for testing always required?
Contact ESV with any suggested changes
Respond to the RIS

29. Gas & Pipeline Infrastructure Safety section
Are responsible for regulating natural gas transmission, non-natural gas and liquid hydrocarbon pipelines, the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), natural and LP gas distribution networks, landfill gas, biogas, LNG, natural gas and LPG retailers.

30. Safety Case & Safety Management Plans
Integrity Management is the main game
AS (2012) sets the rules for Operation & Maintenance
The key is a Safety Case/Safety Management Plan which:
Complies with Gas Safety Act (1997), Pipelines Act (2005) and AS (2012)
Covers the risks to pipeline integrity
Describes how risks are controlled
Ensures controls are effective & consistent
Is audited to ensure compliance and effectiveness
Is complied with.

31. Inspection
Inspection, assessment and monitoring are critical processes to pipeline management, if there’s no inspection then you don’t know what you don’t know.

32. Intelligent Pigging
Intelligent pigging and coating surveys are 2 methods used to inspect the pipelines which have measurement uncertainty. Therefore verification digs on these results, with a direct inspection method, is an important part of the inspection process. The verification digs should also be addressed in the Pipeline Integrity Management Plan.

33. Integrity Inspections
For pipelines which cannot be intelligently pigged, just using coating surveys for inspection is not a comprehensive anomaly / defect identification process. The inspection process needs to be suitable for the risks associated with that pipeline. Consideration also needs to be given to environmental conditions the coating survey is conducted in. If the threat of CP shielding is credible to that pipeline, this should also be addressed.

34. Electrolysis Testing

35. Drainage Bond testing

36. Electrolysis Drainage Bond

37. Contact: peter.wade@energysafe.vic.gov.au
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