Quoceant secure funding to develop multi-use subsea connection system
Quoceant are delighted to have won funding from Wave Energy Scotland (WES) to support the first stage of development work for a generalised mechanical and electrical connector for wave energy converters. Quoceant will be working with marine operation specialists Inyanga Marine, and with the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC).
Funding for the Quoceant led project, was announced by Scotland’s Energy Minister, Paul Wheelhouse early in December. It will be used to develop the ‘Q-Connect’ system capable of providing mechanical and electrical connection in a rapid and safe operation, and of being adaptable to a range of wave energy designs and wider applications. This first stage funding, will progress concept designs, develop operational storyboards and carry out design appraisal. If successful, further funding may be available under the WES programme for detailed design, prototyping, and testing.
Speaking about the award, Rosalind Hart, Senior Engineer at Quoceant said:
"This is an important award for Quoceant, and we hope our new system will offer a solution for the whole sector. The 'Q-Connect' will allow fast and safe connection and disconnection of a device to its moorings and subsea electrical cable, streamlining offshore operations."
Matthew Finn, Commercial Manager at EMEC said:
“To date, EMEC has hosted 32 wave and tidal device trials across our four test sites, providing us with hands on experience of the challenges faced by the marine energy sector. The knowledge we’ve gathered is unprejudiced and draws together both the positive and negative lessons learnt from each deployment. Our involvement in this exciting project, working alongside Quoceant, will ensure that these lessons are built into the next generation of electrical and mechanical connectors for the marine energy sector.”
Elva Bannon, Senior Research Engineer at WES said:
" Finding ways to quickly connect a wave energy device to its moorings and electrical system in the harsh marine climate is one of the crucial elements in developing commercial wave technology. A successful solution to this challenge will reduce time, cost and risk in offshore operations.
“Scotland is already a global leader in offshore engineering, and it makes sense to capitalise on this expertise for ocean energy – where we face many similar challenges.
"The companies involved in these projects bring significant experience from subsea engineering, offshore wind and tidal projects to meet the needs of the wave energy sector.”
Further details on all the awards are available from Wave Energy Scotland.