Artemis hydrofoil workboat to skim Rotterdam waters
During the pilot project, the Port of Rotterdam Authority aims to evaluate the potential benefits of the Artemis EF-12 Workboat. Until the end of the project in November this year, tests will be conducted to assess the applications, opportunities and risks of hydrofoil vessels within the fleet. The watercraft will be evaluated on its sailing behaviour and reliability as well as suitability for the Harbour Master’s Division’s tasks. The benefits and challenges of electric power and charging will also be evaluated with a view to further electrification efforts.
In 2022, Artemis Technologies, which is based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, designed an all-electric passenger ferry to enter service in 2024. The company specialises in fully electric hydrofoil boats. Several Artemis hydrofoil ferries have been deployed in the UK.
For testing the Artemis work boat in Rotterdam, where 28,000 sea-going vessels and 91,000 inland vessels call on the port, Verweij says the Port of Rotterdam will “Consider the minimal impact of wave action and the exceptional stability, even in rough waters. We are therefore enthusiastic about exploring whether and how electric hydrofoils can complement our range of deployable resources.”
The work boat has to be deployable seven days a week 24 hours a day. “We aim to be the smartest port, increasingly using modern tools in our enforcement and monitoring tasks. We also want to be the most sustainable port, but in case of incidents, we must be able to respond rapidly on the water,” explains Verweij.
The Port of Rotterdam has begun multiple programs to remove emissions from everyday operations with both battery-powered and hydrogen fuel solutions. Earlier this month, the APM container terminal Maasvlakte II began using a robotic charging solution from Rocsys in future to supply 30 automated terminal trucks with power.
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