Artemis Technologies to test electric CTVs for offshore wind

Sustainable marine company Artemis Technologies (Belfast, Ireland) is spearheading a collaborative, industry-led research and development (R&D) project that has received £3 million of government backing through the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 4 (CMDC4). The funding will support the real-world demonstration of Artemis’ first all-electric 24-passenger crew transfer vessel (EF-24 CTV), which was initially developed thanks to previous funding from CMDC2. The EF-24, like the EF-12 vessel announced in 2023, is composed of glass and carbon fiber composites, which reduce the weight of the boat, enabling higher speeds and longer range.

In response to significant global interest from wind farm developers and CTV operators, the demonstrations will prove the EF-24 CTV’s capability to operate safely under extreme wind and tide conditions — a key priority within the offshore wind industry. The project will take place across multiple offshore U.K. windfarms, with Artemis Technologies working alongside an experienced consortium of partners, including Tidal Transit (Norfolk, U.K.) and Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult (Glasgow). 

“Offshore wind is a cornerstone of U.K. decarbonization plans with potential to more than triple its capacity by 2035. In turn, CTV numbers are projected to rise significantly,” CEO at Artemis Technologies, Dr Iain Percy OBE, says. “If zero-emission vessels are not introduced, we are looking at an estimated 600,000 tonnes of CO2e/year being released into our environment.”

Artemis will also develop and deliver an EF-24 CTV operator training course, and undertake data collection and analysis to understand how the vessel operates in a range of conditions and locations. 

Onshore charging infrastructure will provide overnight vessel charging, enabling the EF-24 CTV to perform a full commercial operation cycle.