Quick Connections - Making Waves in Wind

This work is focused on the adaptation of Quoceant's modular Quick Connection System (QCS), the
Q-Connect, already developed and tested for use in the wave and tidal energy sectors, to meet the
higher loading requirements of the floating offshore wind (FOW) industry. A QCS in this context is
a device that mechanically secures an offshore floating structure to the pre-installed mooring and/or
electrical systems on the seabed. The key aims of a QCS are to "reduce the duration, cost and risk of
offshore operations" (Wave Energy Scotland n.d.b).
A key offshore operation where a QCS can reduce operational costs and duration is known as
the platform "hook-up" and is required for each floating energy device installed offshore to connect
the device to the pre-installed mooring and electrical systems. By reducing the duration of the
hook-up operation and expanding the safe operational weather limits could significantly reduce the
delays incurred from waiting for suitable weather windows to become available. The research and
development of the QCS will be focused on FOW but may include some design adaptions for smaller
scale projects in relevant areas that will feed into the FOW designs.
This report comprises a short state of the art review to highlight the need for QCSs in FOW
followed by a Project Plan detailing the anticipated steps the project will take to meet it's goals. Also
included is an assessment of risks to project completion, a health and safety risk assessment and a
Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) assessment.