We’re pleased to share the new PALM Quick Connection System (QCS) animation, developed with support from Wave Energy Scotland and the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership.
The animation brings to life the challenges seen across floating offshore renewables, the engineering behind the PALM QCS, and the operational gains the system can deliver.
Why the PALM QCS was developed
Floating offshore renewables typically rely on tow‑to‑port maintenance strategies, which are costly in terms of the marine spread required and the lost generation during prolonged outages.
The PALM QCS was developed to address these challenges by simplifying the hook‑up and disconnection of cables and/or moorings for floating devices.
The goal is simple: reduce cost, minimise risk and improve the efficiency of offshore operations.
The PALM QCS approach
The PALM Quick Connection System has been developed to expedite the efficient hook‑up and disconnection of cables and or moorings for floating offshore renewables devices.
At its core, PALM QCS simplifies offshore operations by reducing connection and disconnection to the winching action of a conventional tow tug. The system uses a unique mechanical arrangement that guides electrical and or mechanical wet‑mate connectors into position using only a winch wire, removing the need for personnel transfer.
The design draws on proven offshore technologies and prioritises simplicity, ruggedness and long‑term integrity. The system is marinised, mechanically driven and avoids unnecessary complexity to support reliable operation throughout the life of a field.
How the PALM QCS works
The PALM QCS uses a unique mechanical system that guides electrical and/or mechanical wet‑mate connectors together using only the winching action of a conventional tow tug. It is:
- rugged and marinised, designed specifically for the marine environment
- mechanical with minimal moving parts, supporting long‑term reliability
- fully scalable, with mechanical capacities up to 1100t minimum break load
- available in cable‑only, mooring‑only, and combined configurations
- designed so the plug is preinstalled with the mooring and cable system
Its passive guide system aligns and mates the plug and receptacle automatically, enabling safe, predictable connection and disconnection with no personnel transfer.
PALM QCS has now completed physical testing, including real‑sea trials in Orkney, validating its performance in actual offshore conditions.
Operational performance
The efficiency gains demonstrated through trials and development:
- Disconnect in around 4.5 hours
- Reconnect / hook‑up in around 5.5 hours
- Cables protected in wet storage, ready for reconnection
- No specialist cable vessel required – a standard tug can complete the operation
These efficiencies reduce vessel time, lower weather‑window exposure and recover lost generation, supporting meaningful LCOE reductions across floating wind farms.
The commercial opportunity
As floating offshore wind scales, each turbine may require disconnection one or more times for port‑based maintenance. PALM QCS provides:
- substantial marine spread savings
- recovery of significant lost generation
- LCOE reductions at project scale
- a system suitable for global deployment
PALM QCS is now progressing toward full‑scale pilot deployment, with commercialisation and export pathways under development.
Speak to us
If you’re interested in learning more about the PALM QCS, exploring potential collaboration, or discussing where the system could support your floating offshore wind projects, please get in touch with our team at info@apollo.engineer