To ensure that satisfactory levels of Cathodic Protection (CP) are being achieved on buried structures and above ground storage tank bottoms, reference electrodes are permanently installed to measure steel potentials. They can also be used as a sensing electrode to control the DC output power supply to the CP systems.​

The WE200 permanent reference electrodes have been specifically designed for direct burial in moist soil and can be installed along pipeline routes at key monitoring points e.g. test stations, drain points, cased crossings, isolation joints, HVAC parallelisms etc. and are also suitable for installation below tank bottoms to measure CP potential levels.

The WE200 reference electrode consists of a highly stable silver/silver chloride element enclosed in an acetal housing and surrounded by a solid electrolyte (with 0.5M chloride ion concentration), an enlarged micro porous ceramic plug allows contact with the electrolyte and ionic conduction. These electrodes can be directly installed into moist soil but in dry soils the electrode impedance can be very high in relation to the impedance of the measuring circuit. Thus, it would be essential that the reference electrode is bagged in a conductive backfill i.e. bentonite, gypsum and sodium sulphate and the measuring circuit has a high impedance, preferably 30MegOhm or greater.

Typical applications: underground pipelines, underground in-plant pipework, underground tanks, mounded tanks, above ground storage tank bottoms.