Krupp Precision Tubing, a renowned German materials enterprise, held a press conference in Munich today, announcing the large-scale mass production of its independently developed third-generation super duplex stainless steel pipes. Designed for high-salt and high-corrosion marine environments, this product will significantly reduce the pipeline maintenance costs of offshore wind power, deep-sea oil and gas development, and other projects. Moreover, its related technologies have passed the EU marine engineering material certification.
According to Marcus Hoffmann, the chief engineer of Krupp, the new stainless steel pipe employs "nickel-molybdenum alloy composite strengthening" technology. While retaining the high-strength characteristics of traditional stainless steel, it has improved chloride ion corrosion resistance by 40% and extended the service life from 15 years of traditional products to more than 25 years. "In our pilot project at an offshore wind power project in the North Sea, we found that the corrosion rate of this pipeline was only 1/5 of the industry standard during three consecutive years of seawater immersion tests," Hoffmann stated. The test data he presented indicated that the pipeline's impact resistance remained stable even in low-temperature sea conditions of -20℃.
At the press conference, Ingrid Nilsson, the procurement director of Norway's Statoil, signed a purchase agreement for the first batch of 1,200 tons with Krupp. "The cost of pipeline replacement for deep-sea oil and gas platforms is extremely high, and the mass production of new stainless steel pipes will save us at least 12 million euros in maintenance costs every year," Nilsson remarked. The company plans to apply the new pipelines to the expansion project of the Juno oil field in the North Sea, and the first batch of pipeline laying is expected to be completed in the second quarter of next year.
Katrina Schmidt, an official from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, highlighted at the event that the upgrading of marine engineering equipment materials is a crucial support for Europe's "green energy transition" plan. Krupp's technological breakthrough this time not only fills the capacity gap in Europe's high-end corrosion-resistant stainless steel pipe field but also promotes the technological upgrading of the entire industrial chain. It is understood that the company has established a new production line with an annual output of 50,000 tons in Saxony, which is expected to create more than 300 jobs.
Wood Mackenzie, an industry analysis agency, predicts that with the rapid growth of global offshore wind power installed capacity, the global market size of corrosion-resistant stainless steel pipes will exceed 8 billion euros by 2026. With its performance advantages, Krupp's new product is expected to capture more than 20% of the global market share. Currently, the product has obtained intention orders from numerous marine engineering enterprises in the United Kingdom, Denmark, and other countries, and the relevant export procedures are being processed.
