Meeting the expectation of a 30+ PV project

operation lifetime, from the ground up

© PVH
4th February 2021
 ArcelorMittal: strong & long lasting experience
in galvanised coated steels

© French Corrosion Instuitute

© ArcelorMittal

Experienced in high quality production Deep knowledge of galvanised steels

of continuous galvanised steels durability mechanisms & performances
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 Durability is key at each step of the lifecycle of solar PV
plants

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Galvanised coil production Coil slitting Profiling / tubing Engineering

What matters = range of grades & coating thickness / good processability

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© ArcelorMittal
Recycling Retro-fitting Maintaining Operating Transporting, storing
and assembling
What matters = durability
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 Lifetime expectation for solar utility-scale plants is
continuously increasing

Average today is 32.4 years

Range between
25 to 35 years

Project Life Expectations for Utility-Scale PV, over time

Source: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory – Survey June 2020

https://emp.lbl.gov/publications/benchmarking-utility-scale-pv
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Why longer durability expectations for mounting structures?
Why improved protection of steel?
Increase VALUE:
- Longer period for
pay back & amortisation
- Longer Private
Purchase Agreements
- End of life higher value
- Retrofitting potential with
newest PV panels on
initial mounting structure
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Reduce O&M COSTS:
- Postpone time to 1st
maintenance
Build in more
- Reduced repairs leading to demanding locations
increased operation &
maintenance costs → Islands, coastal deserts,
industrial roofs…
- Risk avoidance of → Poles in aggressive or
mechanical failure in case polluted soils
of heavy loads → Floating solar
→ Agrivoltaic with fertilisers
 How to evaluate corrosivity? The theory
ISO 9223: corrosivity of atmospheres
• Experimental method: direct measure
corrosion rate / weight loss of specimen after
1 year of field exposure
• Calculation based environmental measured
data: temperature, relative humidity, and
measured Cl- & SO2 deposits
→ Local measurements needed for both
methods
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ISO 9224: guiding values
• Mathematical extrapolation of 1st year measurement
• Applicable only to pure Zinc: Zn alloys not included
• Many restrictions:
→ “Performances for Zn might not be accurately
predicted”… even with B1 & B2 coefficients
→ Specific phenomena not considered (abrasion...)
→ Lifetime values only informative NOT contractual
ISO 14713 – table 2 : lifetime calculation (years)
=
Nominal coating thickness (µm)
/
Corrosion Rate (µm/y)
In real life, durability is influenced by many other parameters
which require additional protection
Climatic variations Product variations - ISO1461 and EN10346

Additional aggressions (mechanical & chemical)

• Abrasion (sands)
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• Pollution (industrial…)
• Vegetation (grass, leaves, moss….)
• Animals (excrements, …)
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• Site maintenance (lawn mower, herbicide…)

• Impacts (maintenance tools…)
6 • Cleaning (tools & cleaning agents….)
 How to increase durability ?
Corrosion Zinc
Unit
1. The basis = use coated steel with LOWER category (ISO 9223) corrosion rate
corrosion rates than regular galvanised steels C2 µm/year 0.1 < rcorr ≤ 0.7
C3 µm/year 0.7 < rcorr ≤ 2.1
→ Magnelis® C4 µm/year 2.1 < rcorr ≤ 4.2
C5 µm/year 4.2 < rcorr ≤ 8.4

2. FIELD EVALUATION of the corrosivity of the site:

- field knowledge of product behavior
- field knowledge of weather data +
deposited Cl and SO2

3- Coating weight / thickness adjusted

- to the expected lifetime
- considering safety margin to protect against
additional aggressive parameters
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 Magnelis® is the answer to longer lifetimes and
more demanding environments & applications

Porous
structure Compact and
stable structure
© ArcelorMittal

Compact
Continuous process A unique composition and stable
Automated structure
A full range of grades
On-line control
And thicknesses
Specific corrosion products
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Magnelis® is already widely used for many
components of mounting structures

© ArcelorMittal
© ArcelorMittal © Profl du Futur

Rails Poles, columns Torque tubes

Purlins, rails, brackets (U, C, Ω, Σ...) Rammed in soil, embedded in concrete HF Induction or laser welded tubes

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© ESDEC

Wind deflection Electrical components

9 (roof top) Cable trays, cabinets, …
 ~20 GW around the world installed on Magnelis®

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Europe, main market for
Magnelis® (PV): Saran, Kazakhstan 100 MW (PV)
Spain, Germany, Poland, France, GOLDBECK Solar / CWF
Magnelis® for rails
Benelux, UK, Greece,
California, USA, 250 MW (PV) (Fix, trackers, roof top, floatingJordan, 10 MW (PV) Delingha Supcon, China, 50 MW
Magnelis® used for girder parts PHILADELPHIA SOLAR (CSP)
NOOR III, Morocco, 100 MW Magnelis® used for SOLAR RESERVE
(CSP) upper structures Magnelis® used for stamped parts
ACWA POWER, SENER Abu Dhabi, 1177 UAE, 300MW
Magnelis® used for hollow MW (PV) (PV)
sections & stamped parts SWEIHAN - DEWA III
FORMING PVH
Magnelis® for Magnelis® for
upper structures upper structures
(Fix) (trackers)
El Romero, Chile, 255 MW (PV)
Australia, 110 MW (PV)
ACCIONA STI Norland (Spain )
Magnelis® used for
Magnelis® for upper structures
girder parts

PV & CSP, racking & foundations, fix & trackers systems, ground
10 mounted, rooftop & floating
 Extensive product behaviour knowledge
has been collected for Magnelis® coating
• We have tested Magnelis® in various types of
environments covering the range of corrosion
categories
– Rural
– Urban
– Industrial

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– Marine
– Tropical
– Deserts (coastal, continental…)
– Floating (fresh / brackish / sea)
Field sites where Magnelis® is tested
• Similar approach for corrosion in soils (geological,
physical, chemical & electrical parameters) What we measure on atmospheric field tests:

Corrosion rates (weight losses)

• Comparatively with pre- & batch- galvanised
steels Visual aspect of surface and along edges
Cut edges behaviour (image analysis)
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 Large scale atmospheric testing around the world
demonstrates the lower corrosion rate of Magnelis®

Average improvement ratio of Magnelis® corrosion rate

vs regular galvanised after 6 years

Magnelis® exhibits lower

corrosion rates.

Average improvement:
~ 3 compared to regular
galvanised steel

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 Improved protection of perforated steels
(surface & cut edges) with Magnelis®
6 months 1 year 2 years 4 years 5 years 7 years 10 years

Magnelis®

Magnelis® protection
Al55Zn45 overperforms
Al55Zn45 and regular
galvanised steel
Galva
Dense perforation rate on 2 mm steel coated with 20 microns

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 Significant reduction of corrosion rates vs batch galvanisation
and more stable behaviour
Average coating consumption (µm)
Brest
Others testing fields
for specific harsh environments

Magnelis® Batch galva

Dunkerque
Offshore

Magnelis® Batch galva

Soils
Dubai

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 Lower corrosion rate with Magnelis® in comparison to
other less alloyed Zn-Al-Mg coatings

Dunkerque

Performance improvement

Durability performance is linked to the coating composition

Magnelis® results can not be extrapolated to others ZnAlMg alloyed coatings
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 Magnelis® ZM310 offers a minimum 30 years of expected
design coating life in C3 environment
DESIGN COATING LIFE = average duration until 100% of the undamaged coating, exposed to outdoor
conditions only, will be consumed on the surface. At this point in time, the structural integrity of the part is
no longer ensured and a major repair is necessary. → Structural criteria

Corrosion Magnelis® Magnelis®

category
ISO 9223 ZM310 ZM430
C2 > 50 y > 50 y
C3 category, the most
frequent case = C3 30 y to > 50 y 40 y to > 50 y
temperate / urban... C4 category =
C4 15 y to 30 y 20 y to 40 y tropical /
industrial / coastal...
C5  15 y 10 y to 20 y

These durations are indicative and non binding.

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 Expected lifetimes with Magnelis® in atmospheric
conditions have been certified by third parties

Thickness range → up to 6,0 mm

Coating range → up to ZM430

Surface:

Magnelis® ZM310
possible use in C5
corrosion category
with 15 years of
expected lifetime
Edges:
• Edges can remain unprotected
with ZM310 or ZM430 up to 6.0
mm thickness
• No aesthetical requirement &
corrosion allowance

http://publiccert.extweb.sp.se/ https://www.dibt.de/de/
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 From lifetime to guarantees: Magnelis® can be guaranteed
by contract on a project basis

▪ Based on project location

after location analysis by
Extension to soils or
ArcelorMittal
concrete foundations:
▪ A contract per project
▪ On project basis
▪ For Magnelis® profiles
▪ Based on soil
(after bending & perforation)
physical, chemical
and electrical
▪ For Magnelis® tubes
analysis
(after preliminary audit by
ArcelorMittal)

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 How do we support the increase of lifetime?

ZM200
ZM250
ZM310
ZM430

© ArcelorMittal
S550GD HyPer®
ZM620 S700GD HyPer®

Enlarged range of coating Enlarged range of high

weights strength steels protected
with Magnelis®

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 Thanks to Magnelis® range & performance knowledge
it is possible to increase durability beyond 30 years
ZM200
ZM250
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ZM310
ZM430
ZM620
Site analysis: climate Magnelis® coating Transportation / storage
+ corrosion tools weight recommendation guidelines
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Design guidelines with respect Maintenance / inspection
20 to resistance to corrosion guidelines
Magnelis® contributes to reducing the environmental impact
of mounting systems
Material Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) available
online to perform Life Cycle Analysis:

• Manufacturing: less resources (Zn) used in comparison

to continuous & batch galvanised steels

• Use phase: less zinc run-off in soils & waters

• End of life: steel is entirely and infinitely recyclable

NEW : Magnelis® can also be purchased with Green Steel

certificates in the frame of the existing and future
investments of ArcelorMittal in Green Steel production
processes
https://ibu-epd.com/en/published-epds/
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 Thank you !

Your questions?
© Zimmermann

jerome.guth@arcelormittal.com corinne.dieu@arcelormittal.com

More info industry.arcelormittal.com/magnelis

22 Watch the video www.youtube.com/watch?v=ER0R8K3nLXY