Q-Connect Wins Stage 3 Funding

Quoceant's adaptable, marine quick connection system secures development funding from Wave Energy Scotland.

Quoceant have been awarded funding from Wave Energy Scotland (WES) to take their innovative Q-Connect through a series of qualification tests in readiness for at sea demonstration.

The Q-Connect is a modular and adaptable Quick Connection System (QCS) that provides rapid mechanical and electrical connection of a marine energy device to its mooring and electrical infrastructure. The ‘hands free’ remote connection and disconnection processes can be completed in a single operation without specialised vessels, cable handling, or taut lines on deck. The Q-Connect is adaptable to various mooring and machine configurations, making it applicable to a wide variety of technologies including wave and tidal energy converters.

The stage 3 project, led by Quoceant, brings together an expert team including specialists in manufacturing and marine operations. The team will carry out detailed design and qualification tests including load limits, and through-life performance. The team includes: Quoceant, The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), Soil Machine Dynamics (SMD), Inyanga Maritime, ETA, Mocean and AWS Ocean Energy.

The funding comes at a time of growth for Quoceant who are looking to expand their Edinburgh based engineering team with an additional Mechanical Engineering role to support activity across the wave, tidal and offshore wind sectors.

Commenting on the awards, Tim Hurst, managing director of WES said “This programme will develop technology that will reduce the cost of wave and tidal energy and ultimately help marine energy play a part in Scotland’s net-zero future.

“Connecting and disconnecting devices quickly and remotely will increase safety in offshore operations, and the wider potential for these technologies is significant across offshore and subsea applications”

Michael Matheson, cabinet secretary for net-zero, energy and transport added: “My congratulations go to Apollo Offshore Engineering, Blackfish Engineering Design and Quoceant for securing the funding announced today.

“Finding ways to help develop wave energy commercialise is one of the key goals for the sector, and I look forward to these projects helping deliver that goal and drive forward what is one of the most exciting technologies available to us on our journey to a net-zero economy”.

Beth Dickens, Director at Quoceant and lead for the project, said: “We are excited to receive this award from Wave Energy Scotland. The funding will enable continued technical and commercial development of the Q-Connect system which we believe to offer tangible benefits to the wave sector and wider offshore renewable markets.”

Catrin Sutherland, Senior Commercial Officer at EMEC said: “EMEC are excited to continue to support Quoceant's journey towards the certification and commercialisation of their Q-Connect system. The next phase of the WES programme will be instrumental in enabling technology development with significant potential to reduce costs within the wave and tidal industry."

Paul Davison, Managing Director at SMD said: “Quoceant have world leading experience in offshore renewable operations coupled with an impressive level of engineering know-how, hence we’re delighted to be selected by Quoceant as a project partner. By utilising off-the-shelf SMD Curvetech power and control components we can provide a customised solution for reliable connection and disconnection of the QCS in operation.”