Artemis Technologies’ 100% Electric Foiling Workboat Takes to the Sea

Artemis Technologies has just released the first pictures of its 100% electric, high-speed foiling workboat prototype on Belfast Lough.

The vessel was designed and built to include the production specification drivetrain, battery and flight control components consumers will eventually see in the finished workboat. With big goals set for 2022, this announcement brings Artemis Technologies one step closer to providing high-speed zeroemission maritime transport to the masses. The 11.5 metre vessel named “Pioneer of Belfast” is powered by the revolutionary Artemis eFoiler® system, which enables the prototype to fly over the water, using significantly less energy than a conventional workboat with highspeed re-charging technology also developed. Launched from the company’s research and

CONDOR FERRIES TO OPERATE ZERO-EMISSION PILOT SCHEME IN BELFAST

Condor Ferries has joined the Belfast Maritime Consortium and will operate the world’s most advanced zero-emission commuter ferry service between Belfast and Bangor.

The ferry service to commence in 2024 will act as a pilot scheme for the revolutionary fast passenger ferries currently under development by the consortium, led by Artemis Technologies. The vessels will be powered by the transformative Artemis eFoiler ® enabling them to fly above the water, allowing for a comfortable ride, producing minimal wake at high-speed, while using up to 90 per cent less energy than some conventional ferries. Dr Iain Percy OBE, CEO and Founder of Artemis Technologies, said: “The announcement that Condor Ferries is joining us in the Belfast Maritime Consortium is a hugely significant endorsement of the work we are doing and marks another milestone on our journey towards leading the decarbonisation of maritime. “With vast experience operating commercial routes, Condor Ferries is well placed to run the inaugural service for the first commuter ferry to be produced at our manufacturing facility in Belfast. “Working alongside our partners in Belfast City Council, Ards and North Down Borough Council, Belfast Harbour and Power NI, the pilot scheme will give us a better understanding of the needs of ferry operators

Artemis Technologies CEO Dr Iain Percy OBE, left, is joined by Elwyn Dop, Operations Director, Condor Ferries

manufacturing facility in Belfast Harbour, the prototype is currently undergoing sea trials to verify its technical capabilities match those from the company’s digital twin simulations, ahead of the launch of Artemis Technologies’ small workboat range next month. The company which is a spin-off from the Artemis Racing America’s Cup team, has attracted significant UK Government and private investment, and has partnered with Northern Irish organisations on a mission to help deliver a sustainable maritime future. Iain Percy, double Olympic sailing gold medallist and chief executive of Artemis Technologies said: “It was a truly joyous moment for our dedicated Belfast workforce when the champagne was broken on her bow and Pioneer first took to the water. “Over the last five years we’ve assembled experts from the worlds of motorsport, aerospace and high-performance yacht racing who have worked closely with local talent to deliver the first of many such vessels that will leverage Belfast’s rich maritime history and place the cityat the centre of green ship-building industry.” Romain Ingouf, Technical Director of Artemis Technologies, continued: “We’ve been recording the performance of the workboat against its gasoline powered sistership. Our first foiling day was in a North Easterly wind blowing 25kts with very steep sea state. Although we have simulated the two vessels very accurately, the performance and ride comfort was still mind blowing. “We are measuring energy efficiency, ride comfort, wake creation and of course, tracking the amount of fuel used by the sistership at different speeds, across a wide range of weather conditions. Belfast Lough is the perfect testing ground. This like-for-like testing enables us to quantify the various commercial and operational benefits of the Artemis eFoiler® system, as well as the emissions saved by the 100% electric ‘Pioneer of Belfast’. David Tyler, Commercial Director of Artemis Technologies, commented: “This prototype, a first of its kind in the commercial workboat sector, is the largest electric foiling vessel in the world. Pioneer has already achieved regulatory approval, having been issued with a UK Loadline Exemption on the basis of meeting MCA’s Workboat Code through equivalence and rigorous risk assessment and mitigations. “We’re now at a crucial time for not only the Artemis Technologies business but for the future of maritime transport. ‘Pioneer of Belfast’ is just the beginning; we have several high-speed zero-emission vessels in development that will transform the commercial workboat and city-to-city passenger ferry sectors over the coming decades.”

Artemis Technologies Team.

and local authorities from a vessel design, usage, and infrastructure perspective. “Belfast will get a glimpse of the future when the pilot service commences operation, but it is just the beginning. We are already receiving interest from around the globe as governments and cities across the world seek sustainable transport alternatives that balance the requirement for people to continue to move around with the need to reduce carbon emissions.” The pilot service will run from Bangor Marina to Belfast’s Titanic Quarter with an expected journey time of around 30 minutes providing a greener solution to commuters along one of the busiest traffic routes in Northern Ireland. John Napton, Condor Ferries’ CEO, said: “We are always looking to the future, and this includes exploring ways of reducing our carbon emissions. As an experienced commercial ferry company, we are therefore happy to join the consortium and help to develop this concept into an operational mode of transport.” Clare McGill, Head of Economic Development, Ards and North Down Borough Council, added: “As a Council, we are strongly focused on finding new ways of acting more sustainably in how we live, work and operate. “We welcome the addition of Condor Ferries to the Belfast Maritime Consortium as this allows for the possibility of sustainable transport and could offer our citizens the opportunity to enact a modal shift in transport between Belfast and Bangor, providing an alternative to sitting nose to tail in traffic every day.” John Walsh, Chief Executive of Belfast City Council said:”The addition of Condor Ferries to the Belfast Maritime Consortium is hugely welcome and brings our city one step closer to realising our net zero ambitions. “Blue-green infrastructure will be a vital part of Belfast’s integrated transport plan and we look forward to seeing zero emission ferries on Belfast Lough, transporting people between the City and North Down.” The Belfast Maritime Consortium is a 14-member syndicate which has brought together a range of industry, academia and public bodies, including, Artemis Technologies, Ards and North Down Borough Council, Belfast City Council, Belfast Harbour, Belfast Met, Catalyst, Condor Ferries, Creative Composites, Invest Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Advanced Composites Engineering (NIACE), Power NI, Queen’s University Belfast, Spirit AeroSystems, and Ulster University. The consortium was awarded a grant of £33 million by UKRI’s flagship Strength in Places Fund for the £60m project. Condor Ferries operates a number of commercial ferry routes between the Channel Islands, mainland UK and France. The company was acquired in 2020 by the Columbia Threadneedle European Sustainable Infrastructure Fund.