Stephen Tate
Immediate Past President, Institute of Corrosion
Stephen is a retired senior corrosion engineer at Oceaneering and has more than 44 years operations experience in the energy sector. He was President of the Institute of Corrosion 2022 to 2024. Stephen has extensive experience in corrosion and integrity management, including subsea engineering and controls testing, pipeline construction and inspection and integrity checks for both offshore and onshore equipment. He has worked with global companies including BP, British Gas, Fairfield Energy, Shell, and Total Energies. Prior to entering the energy sector he was involved in the construction industry and originally studied building and surveying.
How specialists are reducing corrosion and keeping people safe
Corrosion of metals impacts all countries to varying degrees, according to the local climate and operating conditions. Key factors are pressure, temperature, humidity and any contaminants present, for example oxygen or carbon dioxide. This has major financial impacts and causes loss of important infrastructure, including for example, bridges, hospitals and schools.
Did you know that, in the UK, the total cost of corrosion equals the current spend on education provision (about 4% of GDP)? This is money that could otherwise be spent on providing new and improved facilities.
There are many ways in which corrosion can be prevented through design changes, material changes, applied coatings, chemical treatments and electrochemical methods. And, of course, regular maintenance is very important. While it’s not possible to completely eliminate corrosion and associated costs, we could save around £10 to £30 billion each year with optimised corrosion prevention.
But, it’s not just about saving money. Engineers working to prevent and address corrosion are also helping the planet and keeping people safe. They help reduce or prevent water and gas leaks, and extend the life of public infrastructure like bridges.
There aren’t many professions with a specialism in corrosion, so they are in demand and are well paid. These specialists tend to be either research/laboratory based (science) or field and/or office based (engineering). And you can enter through a range of routes, including through an apprenticeship or university. Whatever path or level works for you, there are companies and organisations willing to assist you in achieving your goals.
BBC Bitesize has some great content on corrosion of metals on their GCSE Chemistry pages.
Contact Stephen Tate on the Institute of Corrosion website for more information about careers in corrosion engineering.
Go to the Institute of CorrosionEngineers working to prevent and address corrosion are also helping the planet and keeping people safe. They help reduce or prevent water and gas leaks and extend the life of public infrastructure like bridges.
— Stephen Tate, Immediate Past President, Institute of Corrosion
