If you happened to stroll past Belfast harbor in the past year, the chances are you may have stopped to rub your eyes in disbelief. Or spat out your coffee. Or just stood there, momentarily, in a state of stunned silence.
It has grabbed quite a lot of attention.
After a brief second to allow for some extra brain processing, you’d be left with no choice but to accept the reality of the situation playing out before you.
“That boat out there…it’s…it’s flying.”
But this wouldn’t have been a case of magic, or a maritime miracle, rather just the team at Northern Ireland’s Artemis Technologies putting the prototype of the world’s first commercially viable, high-speed, 100 percent electric foiling vessel through its paces.
“It has grabbed quite a lot of attention,” admits a smiling Romain Ingouf, “and I think it’s going to get a lot more when we start delivering them to customers this summer.”
With the first international orders now placed for the 12M Artemis eFoiler® powered multi-purpose workboat, a flying vessel could be coming to a harbor near you. Prepare to set eyeballs to stunned.
Less is more
At this point, as Ingouf notes, it’s helpful to clarify the “flying” reference.
The reality of Artemis Technologies’ innovation is not levitation, but rather foiling; with an “underwater wing” (a hydrofoil) sitting beneath the hull. This is fitted with a high power density electric drivetrain.
Ingouf explains: “It works just like an aircraft wing, although it’s much smaller, of course, as water is 1,000 times denser than air. Basically the craft starts accelerating and as speed increases lift is created. The hull then lifts out the water and stays there, with a computer system autonomously controlling the hydrofoil; constantly adjusting it with actuators in much the same way as flaps work on aircraft wings. Stability is ensured without human input, leaving the pilot to focus on getting his or her passengers to their destination.”
The fact that the hull is lifted out of the water dramatically reduces hydrodynamic drag, thus increasing efficiency. Ingouf says that drag is reduced by approximately 90 percent compared to a comparative non-foiling vessel, translating to huge gains in terms of energy consumption.
“This opens up new possibilities for batteries,” he adds, “as they don’t need to work so hard – they don’t require the same stored energy capacity – for operations. In other words, less drag, less energy, longer operational ranges. We believe this can really transform the potential for rolling out zero-emission electric drivetrains in maritime.”
The cure for seasickness?
And it doesn’t stop there. Artemis Technologies’ first vessel, the Artemis EF-12 Workboat, is designed for the fast transportation of personnel out to facilities such as windfarms. Normally, this would be a stomach-churning experience for all concerned, but the elevated nature of the hull transforms this too.
“Windfarms, aquaculture and other offshore facilities are often located in areas where the seas can be rough,” Ingouf comments. “But with the foiling system vessels are lifted above the waves and that delivers a stable, comfortable ride. You can basically wave goodbye to seasickness.”
The waves and wind also create power demands for traditional craft that have to “fight” their way out to sea, but the reduced drag – as the foil slices through the water – negates that too. In addition, this slicing means there’s almost no wake, protecting the environment and ensuring the workboats (which, thanks to their electric propulsion, are also silent) meet the strictest local regulations.
Seen as a complete proposition, Artemis Technologies’ innovation seems almost too good to be true; zero emissions, significant OPEX savings, quiet and comfortable, minimal wake, and outstanding energy efficiency.
So, why hasn’t anyone else done this before? Why is a comparatively small company from Northern Ireland leading the way on commercial foiling technology globally?
The answer lies in sailing and, more specifically, the America’s Cup.
Less drag, less energy, longer operational ranges.
Racing ahead
Artemis Technologies was born out of Artemis Racing in 2017. The racing team launched in 2006, with Ingouf joining to help design the cutting edge yachts in 2014. Together they focused on creating robust, lightweight glass and carbon fiber boats that used foiling to harness the power of the wind in the most efficient way possible. Ingouf says the designs could deliver a four-fold return on windspeed, meaning yachts skipping above the waves at 40 knots on a 10 knot breeze.
“It was a lot of fun,” he smiles, reliving the team’s long experience with the America’s Cup, where they reached the Challenger Series Final in Bermuda in 2017.
“We have a background in naval architecture, advanced simulation, aeronautical engineering, computerized fluid dynamics and design optimization from the racing,” Ingouf continues. “We were used to getting the optimal efficiency from designs for the best possible performance. So, we thought, with the growing need for a sustainable maritime future, why not transfer that expertise into the commercial arena? Why not go from racing to an area where we could positively impact on the world? At the end of the day, the design parameters and the users may be different, but the principles, the foundations of the technology, are exactly the same. We saw huge potential here.”
Radical growth
They weren’t alone. In 2020, the Belfast Maritime Consortium, led by Artemis Technologies, was awarded a GBP 33 million grant from the UK Research & Innovation Strength in Places Fund with a view to developing a zero-emission high-speed ferry based on foiling technology. This ‘vote of confidence’ encouraged potential private investors to get onboard, leading to a rapid expansion of the company from around 10 staff to over 120 three years later.
Ingouf says this is “just the beginning” and that, as awareness of the electric foiling concept grows, interest will, like the vessels, really take off.
But bold concepts aren’t always immediately welcomed by traditionally conservative industries – isn’t this a concern for a company adopting such a radical approach?
“The benefits, both commercial and environmental, are so great here,” he says, “that we’re convinced people will be won over. We’ve been working on validation and verification testing with the workboat for over a year and the prototype is now successfully commercially coded. As this vessel is a world first, we’ve had to work very closely with Class societies and take them on a bit of a journey. It’s been demanding, but it has to be. These vessels will work for perhaps 10 hours a day, every day, in all kinds of conditions, and we’re committed to very safe, reliable and efficient operations. Once people see them proving their ability day-in, day-out we expect a strong uptake.”
We saw huge potential here.
Foiling plans
Going back to his “just the beginning” comment, it appears to be entirely justified. The workboat is now set to be joined by a 12 meter crew transfer vessel (CTV) with a capacity for 12 passengers. After this Artemis Technologies will debut the largest iteration of its workboat design, in 2024, with a CTV capable of carrying 24 passengers quickly, quietly and comfortably above the waves.
However, it’s another segment that seems to make Ingouf’s eyes really light up with potential, as he refers back to the Belfast Maritime Consortium and that grant.
“The foiling system isn’t applicable to all sectors as you need a certain speed, while vessels are limited in terms of size and operations by battery capacity, if we’re looking to zero emissions,” he says, adding; “You’re not going to see a container ship racing over the surface.”
“However, when we consider the decarbonization of transport, enabling clean infrastructure for communities, then medium-sized ferries are absolutely ideal for this concept. We aim to demonstrate that with the Artemis EF-24 Passenger ferry.”
Bottom line benefits
The Artemis EF-24 Passenger is described by the firm as “the future of maritime transport”. With the backing of the grant, this eye-catching 24-meter long, 150 PAX vessel will slide into action in 2024 with a city-to-city pilot scheme between Belfast and Bangor in Northern Ireland, taking commuters and day trippers from point to point at a cruising speed of up to 38 knots (with a ‘take off velocity’ of 18 knots) and a range of 80 nautical miles (nm) at 32 knots.
The foiling system should, according to forecasts from the firm, transform the fuel costs and emissions profile for the route, potentially reducing OPEX by 85 percent compared to a typical diesel fueled craft. In total (if the ship operates an average of 200 nm per day, 350 days a year) some GBP 2.6 million of fuel could be saved annually, preventing the release of up to 8,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere.
“This is so exciting,” Ingouf states. “It’s a vessel concept that can be adopted right around the world to deliver clean, efficient, comfortable, fast and truly sustainable operations. This can replace existing, conventional ferries, encourage cities to utilize under-used waterways, and be a key part of enabling multi-modal urban transport, helping address local congestion and pollution issues. We see this as a major step forward.”
Interest from around the world is already building, he says, with the first deliveries beyond Northern Ireland scheduled for 2025.
“Just thinking that we’ve gone from racing to this in a few years is crazy,” he concludes. “Imagine if we could use this sailing technology to help lead the decarbonization of maritime globally. And I don’t see why not! Wouldn’t that be just amazing?”
Some might even say this would be magic, or a true maritime miracle. Watch out for an Artemis Technologies vessel taking off near you soon…
Artemis EF-12 Workboat – the lowdown on the high performer
- Length – 12.5 meters
- Crew – two
- Passengers – six
- Top speed – 32 knots
- Cruise speed – 25 knots
- Cruise speed efficiency – 5.6 KWh per nm
- Range - 60 nm
- Material – glass and carbon fiber composite
- Fast charge – 52 seconds per nm, full charge in one hour
Energy uplift
Tomas Tengner, Global Product Manager, Energy Storage, ABB Marine & Ports, discusses how foiling vessels can combine with the latest developments in battery technology to power passenger transportation towards a greener tomorrow.
Foiling concepts can be the key to unlocking electrification of ferries and other vessel types where, up until now, battery sizes have been a major barrier. The energy consumption demanded by ships of a certain size, with conventional displacement hulls, has meant that, in many cases, electrification simply hasn’t been an option due to the unfeasibly large size and weight of required battery packs. However, the innovation and efficiency of designs like the Artemis workboats, or the new P12 full-electric shuttle ferry from Candela, rewrites the rulebook in this regard.
Building benefits
When you combine these designs with the rapid advances made in battery technology - both on base technology, integration and packaging, as well as on the supply chain and scale-up level – the benefits build exponentially. What we are seeing now is an ongoing increase in the energy densities of conventional lithium-ion batteries, with potential for stepping up to a new level with (yet to be commercialized at scale) lithium-ion batteries with lithium-metal anodes, solid-state technology, and lithium-sulfur batteries.
These high density technologies hold the promise to electrify not only ground and water transport, but also enable electric aircraft, such as those being developed by Airbus, Rolls Royce and Heart Aerospace. Interestingly, leading battery manufacturer CATL has now announced the development of a “condensed battery” with a claimed 500Wh/kg energy density. This could be a key step forward.
Trusted for tomorrow
Back on the water, ABB’s successful track record in electrical integration and propulsion technology, as well as proprietary automation and control technologies, can help ship builders to realize their dreams of zero-emission battery electric vessels. Beside the integrated systems onboard, ABB can also provide fleet management, advisory solutions and charging infrastructure, working as a trusted partner on the industry’s journey towards more sustainable horizons.
