Apollo, a leading engineering and energy advisory consultancy, is proud to announce the successful completion of trials for its innovative PALM Charger system.
Supported by nearly £800,000 in funding from the UK Department for Transport (DfT) through Innovate UK, these trials mark a significant step forward in developing offshore charging solutions for marine electric vessels.
The trials, conducted in collaboration with Orkney-based partners Leask Marine and the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), were carried out in Orkney waters in October 2024 at EMEC’s Scapa Flow test site.
The PALM Charger, a pioneering ‘plug and play’ charging point, is designed to enable electric service vessels (SOVs) and other marine EVs to recharge while operating offshore for extended periods.
Successful demonstration in offshore conditions
These trials aimed to demonstrate the technology in a real offshore environment, explore the electrical aspects of power transfer, and refine the marine design.
The trials were a resounding success, with the PALM Charger successfully completing multiple connect, power, and disconnect operations under a variety of sea conditions.
The results showcased 100% reliability of the mechanical and electrical connection and provided key insights into the marine handling operations. These findings will inform the next stage of development and support final design refinements.
Nigel Robinson, offshore renewables director at Apollo, commented: "The excellent teamwork across all partners - Apollo, Leask Marine, and EMEC - was key to the successful execution of this ambitious project. The trials have demonstrated that our technology is ready for the next commercialisation stage.
"The reliability and performance we’ve seen in Orkney waters, along with the lessons learned, position us well to deliver a commercial product that will revolutionise marine EV charging."
Douglas Leask, managing director of Leask Marine Ltd, said: “Leask Marine is always proud to be part of innovative projects like Apollo's PALM Trials, as we firmly believe that groundbreaking technology is crucial for the evolution of the marine industry.
"This project holds the potential to drive significant change in energy transition, enabling working vessels to operate in a more environmentally sustainable manner. We were especially pleased to collaborate as a partner with Apollo and EMEC on this project, contributing to a greener future for the maritime sector.”
Abbie Sinclair, assistant project manager, at EMEC, said: “We’ve really enjoyed working with Apollo and Leask Marine on this project.
"We supported Apollo in proving the electrical connectivity of the PALM connector by leading the testing operations, providing power supply and designing a bespoke electrical and control system to facilitate the tests.
"We worked closely with Leask Marine to set up their barge as a test rig to mimic vessel handling operations.
“EMEC specialises in facilitating at sea trials of marine technologies. The PALM charger trials took place at our test site in Scapa Flow, a leased area of seabed created for testing marine energy technologies and subsystems.
"This trial provides a great example of the flexibility of our test sites and how we can support other industries, in this case maritime decarbonisation, to demonstrate concepts and ideas in a real-life scenario.”
Next steps: Commercial deployment in 2025/26
Building on the success of these trials, Apollo is moving towards a commercial redesign of the PALM Charger, with deployment planned for 2025/26.
With a European Patent Pending, the PALM Charger is poised to play a key role in enabling low-emission electric vessels across offshore wind, fishing, and aquaculture, supporting broader decarbonisation efforts in the marine sector.
Apollo welcomes discussions with organisations interested in exploring the potential of the PALM Charger for their marine operations. To learn more, contact renewables@apollo.engineering