Pile driving system and vessel

A pile driving system for driving a pile into the soil, comprising:

• a drive head member configured to be arranged on a top end of the pile to engage the pile;
• a liquid fillable drop tank, that has a capacity to hold more than 500 m3 of a liquid therein and that is vertically mobile above and relative to the drive head member;
• a lift system configured to bring the drop tank into an initial height position relative to the drive head member;
• a quick release system adapted to effect quick release of the lift system so that the drop tank falls down from said initial height position;
• and
• an energy transfer assembly configured for transfer of energy from the falling drop tank to the drive head member,
• wherein the pile driving system is operable in a repeated cycle for driving the pile into the soil,
• wherein after at least partially filling of the drop tank with liquid to set a desired total mass of the drop tank:
• the liquid filled drop tank is lifted by the lift system into the initial height position,
• the quick release mechanism is operated to effect quick release of the lift system so that the liquid filled drop tank falls down from said initial height position towards the drive head member, and
• wherein energy from the drop tank is transferred by said energy transfer assembly to the drive head member and thereby to the pile.