Condor Ferries has joined the Belfast Maritime Consortium and will operate a zero-emission commuter ferry service on Belfast Lough.
Beginning in 2024, the 30-minute ferry service from Bangor Marina to Belfast’s Titanic Quarter will act as a pilot scheme for the passenger ferries currently under development by the consortium, led by Artemis Technologies.
The vessels will be powered by the Artemis eFoiler, enabling them to ’fly’ above the water, which produces minimal wake at high speed while using up to a reported 90% less energy than some conventional ferries.
“Belfast will get a glimpse of the future when the pilot service commences operation, but it is just the beginning,” said Dr Iain Percy, chief executive and founder of Artemis Technologies.
“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 Belfast Maritime Consortium is a 14-member syndicate that has brought together a range of industry, academic 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, Power NI, Queen’s University Belfast, Spirit AeroSystems, and Ulster University.
The consortium was awarded a grant of £33 million (€39.8 million) by UKRI’s Strength in Places Fund for the £60m project.
