Details have been published of the new 100% electric passenger ferry being launched in 2024 which will be operated by Condor Ferries in Northern Ireland as part of a pilot scheme.
Belfast-based Artemis Technologies has unveiled the design of its new EF-24 passenger vessel, which will carry up to 150 passengers, over a range of 100 nautical miles and with a top speed of 38 knots.
The new ship is powered by Artemis eFoiler® system, derived from the America’s Cup race series, which will enable them to fly above the water, producing minimal wake at high-speed and using up to 90 per cent less energy than some conventional ferries.
Condor is a partner in the Belfast Maritime Consortium which is spearheading this project and the ferry company will operate a passenger service between Belfast and Bangor in two years’ time.
John Napton, Condor’s CEO, said: “As an experienced, commercial operator, we are really pleased to see the progress made by the Artemis team in Belfast in developing this concept into an operational mode of transport.
“Condor and our shareholder CTI are looking to the future and this includes exploring ways of reducing our carbon emissions and finding more sustainable travel solutions. Vessels, such as the EF-24, perfectly provide the clean alternative to traditional ferries.”
The pilot scheme will see Condor run a commuter passenger route between Belfast’s Titanic Quarter and Bangor Marina in 2024. The anticipated journey time is 30 minutes, providing a greener solution to commuters along one of the busiest traffic routes in Northern Ireland.
Artemis Technologies is a spin-off from the Artemis Racing team that competed in the America’s Cup of which its founder, two-time Olympic champion Dr Iain Percy OBE is a four-time veteran.
Dr Percy said: “The zero-emission ferry that will be seen departing Belfast in 2024 will be the first we build at our manufacturing centre in the city, but it is only the start.”
Mr Napton added: “We look forward to being the first operator to set sail in Belfast in 2024 with the world’s most advanced zero-emission foiling fast ferry.”
