Welsh company Marine Power Systems (MPS) has joined Quoceant’s Offshore Wind Growth Partnership (OWGP) project to accelerate the development of Q-Connect technology into the floating offshore wind market.
Scotland-based Quoceant has been developing marine quick connection systems for mooring and electrical connections, gaining operational experience in wave and tidal applications. Recently, Q-Connect completed a three-year detailed design and qualification testing program as part of Wave Energy Scotland’s development initiative.
On June 18, 2024, Quoceant reported it had received an IECRE Feasibility Statement for the quick connection system for marine renewable energy applications from Lloyd’s Register, a renewable energy certification body (RECB).
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Q-Connect is an adaptable, subsea, quick connection system that provides mechanical and electrical connection of a marine energy device to its mooring and electrical infrastructure.
“MPS will provide important input from the perspective of a floating wind developer, allowing us to shape our Q-Connect basis of design to the needs of the floating wind market generally. It is heartening to see the continued interest from across the sector for a quick connection solution,” said Rosalind Hart , Co-Founder of Quoceant.
In early 2024, OWGP funding was secured to adapt Q-Connect for general use in floating wind, enhancing its electrical connectors and mooring connectors for higher capacity. MPS will provide funding, input, and guidance, with plans to use the Q-Connect system for tether connections and grid electrical connections.
OWGP is a business transformation program established under the UK Offshore Wind Sector Deal, encouraging collaboration across the supply chain, implementing productivity improvement programs, and facilitating shared growth opportunities between developers and suppliers.
According to MPS, its floating platform technology, PelaFlex, enables the deployment of industrial-scale floating offshore wind, maximizes local benefits, and reduces risk and overall project costs.
“We welcome this opportunity to become the primary industrial partner in this project and work with the first-class team at Quoceant and support the development of innovative connection systems for floating offshore wind. This has the potential to further reduce costs and offer significant operational and maintenance advantages over existing connections systems,” said Graham Foster , Chief Technology Officer at MPS.