Bremen, Germany – 7 July 2026 – Steelpaint, the German specialist in corrosion protection systems, has completed a major refurbishment project at the Nordfuel biomethane plant in Friesoythe, Germany, applying its proprietary Stelpant coating system to a 40-tonne double-girder overhead crane operating inside one of the facility’s highly corrosive composting halls.
The project involved replacing the crane’s ageing corrosion protection system, which had reached the end of its operational life due to microorganism-induced corrosion commonly found in bioenergy facilities.
Following abrasive steel blasting, Steelpaint’s application partner, Kruse Oberflächentechnik, applied a two-coat system comprising a Stelcatec-L-PR primer and Stelcatec-L-NT topcoat. The crane is used to handle and redistribute biomass, including wood chips and organic waste, under demanding operating conditions.
According to Steelpaint, composting halls present one of the most aggressive environments for protective coatings because of constant exposure to ammonia, carbon dioxide, organic acids, high humidity and biological by-products that accelerate corrosion.
“Unlike conventional industrial facilities, environmental conditions inside composting halls vary significantly depending on temperature, humidity and the composition of the organic material being processed,” said Nils Baumfalk, Key Account Manager, Protective Coatings at Steelpaint. “These conditions can rapidly degrade traditional coating systems.”
Dmitry Gromilin, Technical Service Manager at Steelpaint, added that ammonia-rich environments pose a significant challenge for conventional zinc-based coating systems, making long-term corrosion protection increasingly difficult without advanced coating technology.
Kruse Oberflächentechnik Managing Director Ralf Kruse said the successful completion of the project demonstrates the performance of the Stelpant system in highly corrosive industrial environments.
“Long-term protection depends on maintaining the integrity of the coating system to prevent aggressive media from reaching the steel substrate,” he said. “The two-coat Stelpant solution delivers maximum corrosion protection even under the harshest operating conditions.”
Kruse previously used the Stelpant system on a hydraulic engineering project, with its proven long-term performance influencing the decision to specify the coating again for the Nordfuel facility.
Steelpaint said its moisture-curing one-component polyurethane (1K-PU) technology can be applied at temperatures ranging from -5°C to 50°C and relative humidity levels of up to 98%, making it particularly suitable for refurbishment projects where environmental conditions are difficult to control.
The coating system offers high resistance to fresh water, seawater and chemically aggressive industrial environments while meeting durability requirements for High (15–25 years) and Very High (more than 25 years) service-life classifications.
Following the successful crane refurbishment, a shredder machine at the Nordfuel biomethane plant is expected to become the next major piece of equipment to receive Steelpaint’s corrosion protection system.
