Australasian Corrosion Consultants’ team of engineers are armed with the extensive knowledge that comes from over 50 years’ experience in corrosion, mechanical, material and electrical engineering.
Australasian Corrosion Consultants (ACC) provides a range of services to the pipeline industry, covering everything from corrosion investigations to corrosion protection system design, supply and installation, and monitoring to ensure clients’ cathodic protection systems operate to exacting Australian standards.
Among its client base, ACC counts government and privately-owned utilities in the water, electrical, oil and gas, marine sectors, as well as contractors in tunnel, road, rail, industrial infrastructure and the mining industry, who all rely on the company for its expertise in the corrosion sector.
Sales and Operations Manager Reece Baines says that ACC’s mission is to maximise the service life of essential infrastructure by applying innovative corrosion design and education, enabling asset owners to increase the life of their infrastructure and reduce operational expenses.
“A burst pipeline due to corrosion has a huge implication on cost,” says Baines. “But it also causes inconvenience to customers and potential damage to the environment.”
Founded in 1987 by rural water industry veteran and cathodic protection specialist Leon Cordwener, ACC was acquired by Bill and Susie Gerritsen in 2001.
“ACC recognised that corrosion protection is a niche area that many companies forget about until something catastrophic happens,” Baines says. “We believe that early intervention and corrosion prevention provides an effective pathway for clients to mitigate their corrosion challenges and ensures compliance.”
There is a definitive need for a specialist who understands the scientific principles of corrosion prevention, and this has allowed ACC to flourish in the pipeline industry. Baines says that a specialised corrosion consultant often provides a quicker, simpler, and more effective solutions for customers when compared to those who troubleshoot in-house.
According to the International Impact Report released by the National Association of Corrosion Engineers in 2016, the global cost of corrosion is US$2.5 trillion ($3.6 trillion).
Referring to an article from the Australian Financial Review titled The Cost of Corrosion: Innovating an Overlooked Industry, Baines says, “In the Australian context the Chair of the Australasian Corrosion Association, Dean Ferguson, has quoted the cost of corrosion to be $100 billion annually.”
By performing regular corrosion protection monitoring surveys, ACC helps clients keep corrosion damage to a minimum, effectively extending the lifetime of pipeline assets by many years.
Core to ACC’s success in the industry has been the vision of Managing Director Bill Gerritsen, whose vision of continuous improvement has resulted in a motivated company culture and a team of engineers that are constantly improving its systems and solutions.
“Bill envisaged using telecommunications technology to apply to pipeline monitoring surveys before it became mainstream. Now that process has become routine,” says Baines. “His knowledge of corrosion and the mechanisms of corrosion, coupled with a training regime for our employees, has allowed ACC to become one of the leading corrosion specialists in the country.”
Gerritsen’s generosity with his extensive knowledge and the culture that he has fostered within ACC has resulted in a company that is able to act flexibly, delivering the outcomes required by its clients.
“By providing time-based costing models for medium to long-term project delivery – especially those that may take longer due to environmental, cultural or heritage impact assessments – and by consulting early in the design stage, we’re able to provide a much better solution for clients as their projects progress,” says Baines.
ACC is well known for delivering high quality, comprehensive, accurate and complete solutions for corrosion survey reporting, and advice on all corrosion related matters.
“We will continue to grow,” says Baines. “With the Australian population expanding, the energy industry and water providers will also grow, increasing the demand for corrosion advice. ACC will meet that demand.”
By implementing new technology to clients’ problems and questioning the status quo of the industries in which it works, ACC and its employees demonstrate the necessary qualities and values to be an industry leader in corrosion protection.
“The best advice we have for asset owners is to engage with a trusted specialist corrosion company that can provide the up-to-date advice on protecting your expensive assets,” says Baines.
“Investing in corrosion protection during the design phase of a project can save time, money and give piece of mind that your reputation and the environment will be protected.”
This article featured in the March edition of The Australian Pipeliner.
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