Apollo, a leading engineering and advisory consultancy, is heading up a consortium that has secured nearly £800,000 in funding from the UK government for the testing phase of its PALM Charger concept.
The PALM Charger is an innovative ‘plug and play’ system that will be mounted on existing offshore infrastructure to allow marine electric vessels to recharge in the field.
As offshore wind projects extend into deeper waters, pushing the range of fully electric service vessels, Apollo's PALM Charger becomes a pivotal solution. By enabling in-field recharging, longer transits become feasible, enabling the more extensive use of low emission EVs.
The success of the PALM Charger concept holds the potential to revolutionise the deployment of low-carbon vessels, thereby contributing significantly to the broader decarbonisation efforts within the industry. This innovation is especially crucial for forthcoming offshore wind projects like ScotWind, INTOG, and the Celtic Sea.
Apollo, in collaboration with Orkney-based partners Leask Marine and the European Marine Energy Centre, is set to commence the testing project in August 2024 at the Scapa Flow test site. The work is being funded by the Department for Transport through Innovate UK’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition.
Nigel Robinson, Apollo's Offshore Renewables Director, expressed enthusiasm, stating, "The PALM Charger has great potential. We are setting our sights on delivering the go-to EV charging connector for the marine EV fleet. The trials will really help prove it as a commercial product."
Upon the completion of the trial phase, Apollo plans to enter the commercialisation stage, preparing a prototype for pilot deployment. While initially targeted at offshore wind developers, the versatile technology of the PALM Charger opens avenues for application in fishing, aquaculture, and pleasure craft sectors.
To learn more about Apollo please visit our website and LinkedIn page.
www.apollo.engineer
https://www.linkedin.com/company/1854294/