The 13 partner syndicate – which is a mix of established and young companies, including Belfast Harbour and Bombardier, academia and local public bodies – is the only Northern Irish or maritime recipient of the UK Research and Innovation flagship Strength in Places Fund.

The growing global desire to cut CO2 emissions from all modes of transport has finally begun to drive significant change within the maritime industry.  Under a new international agreement issued by the International Maritime Organisation, the global maritime sector has committed to cutting emissions by at least half, by 2050, however, a number of countries have more ambitious targets. For example, the UK has committed to being carbon neutral by 2050; its Clean Maritime Plan, building on its Maritime 2050 strategy, aims to reduce pollution to improve public health and protect the environment, calling for all new maritime vessels to be designed with zero-emissions capable technologies, from 2025 onwards.

Our concept for an electric hydrofoil propulsion system is totally unique and will enable vessels of the future to operate with up to 90% less energy, and produce zero emissions during operation.

Iain Percy OBE

Artemis Technologies has developed a new approach to maritime design, more in line with aerospace and motorsport, using bespoke simulation and performance prediction tools to develop digital twins in the design process, and utilise new lightweight structures and modern manufacturing techniques.

A hydrofoil is a wing-like appendage under the hull of a vessel. As the vessel increases its speed the hydrofoils lift the hull up and out of the water, greatly reducing wetted area, resulting in an order of magnitude reduction in drag. Over the last two years, Artemis Technologies has been developing a commercial application for this technology, named the eFoiler Propulsion System (eFoiler).

The eFoiler is based on the integration of an ultra-high-density electric Motor Generator Unit into an autonomously controlled carbon fibre hydrofoil. With a minimal increase in wetted surface area and drag, it provides the first viable solution for the early adoption of high-speed zero-emissions maritime transport.

This technology will reduce the drag of a conventional fast ferry or traditional passive ‘V’ hydrofoil, by up to 90%, uniquely making electric propulsion, with high-speed and range, commercially viable.

The members of the syndicate/consortium for the zero-emission ferries are: Northern Ireland Advanced Composites Engineering (NIACE), Creative Composites, Invest Northern Ireland, Ulster University, Belfast Harbour, Bombardier Belfast, North Down Borough Council, Energia, Catalyst, Belfast Met, Belfast City Council, Ards and Queen’s University, Belfast.

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NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama will be the development and manufacturing headquarters for the new aerospace-grade hull which will be key to completing the Company’s latest Cyclops-class submersible.

NASA’s advanced composite manufacturing capability is ideally suited for the high precision and high-quality requirements of our latest hull design

OceanGate CEO & Founder, Stockton Rush

The company are hoping that this joint design agreement with NASA will further the development of its five-person submarine capable of reaching 19,700 feet. It’s hoped that the new submersible would be operational by 2021 and take on a series of dives to the wreck of the Titanic which lies at a depth of 12,500 feet in the North Atlantic.

Over the last few years, OceanGate has been developing its Titan submersible, made from a mixture of carbon fibre and titanium. The filament wound cylinder that forms the centre section of the pressure vessel is nearly 13 cm thick and made from over 800 layers of carbon fibre composites. The entire pressure vessel consists of two titanium hemispheres, two matching titanium interface rings, and the 142 cm internal diameter, 2.4 metres long carbon fibre wound cylinder, the largest such device ever built for use in a manned submersible.

In April 2019 OceanGate crew sets a world record with Titan as the first four-person dive to 12,300 feet.

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The boat’s construction has been focused on using lightweight materials, Its raked hardtop is made completely of carbon fibre, reducing the vertical centre of gravity for better handling, while carbon fibre also features throughout its superstructure, with carbon-capped stringers and a carbon-fibre transom. The hull and deck are vacuum infused using a composite laminate schedule with PVC coring. The instrument panel is a nano-coated solid surface that is anti-reflective and heat-resistant, which also features titanium fasteners. 

Power comes from six 4.6-litre V8 Mercury Racing 450R engines, which combine to create 2,662bhp, resulting in a top speed of 80mph. It comes with a gyrostabiliser which decreases the boat’s roll by 80 per cent, which is particularly handy when stationary in choppy water. The boat also features both bow and stern thrusters, making docking very simple.

The gold AMG diamond pattern features prominently on the black metallic exterior of the boat while the cabin features handcrafted leather upholstery. Below deck, there’s a sofa with a cabinet concealing a fridge, extra storage and TV while a king-size bed with a large bathroom and shower is located further forward.

A matching Mercedes-AMG G 63 SUV was revealed alongside the boat, sporting the same black and gold livery and leather upholstery while the steering wheel is made from carbon fibre with dark Nappa leather to finish it off.

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This state-of-the-art, 39ft-long vessel named Victa is designed and manufactured by British company SubSea Craft in Havant and is set to be tested by British Special Forces in the Persian Gulf.

The craft is controlled by a two-man crew and can carry an additional six commandos all of them equipped with diving gear as the cockpit floods when the vessel dives underwater.

When underwater a pair of marine propulsion 20 kW electric thrusters provide forward propulsion at speed up to 8 knots. The craft will be “flown” whilst submerged, with roll and pitch control through forward and aft hydroplanes. 4 Copenhagen thrusters are mounted vertically for accurate slow speed depth control.

The craft is fully fly-by-wire, with an advanced control system developed in-house using the experience gained from previous America’s Cup and Princess Yachts projects. The control system manages the dive and surfacing and provides all propulsion controls. VICTA’s hull is constructed from carbon fibre and Diab core to yield an efficient strength to weight ratio design. The hull can withstand the wide range of surface and subsurface loads that are dictated by the mission profiles.

For decades, we’ve been waiting for a vessel to be developed which is effective on the surface of the water and below. The enemy won’t be able to see or hear us coming. Given the threat to British ships in the Strait of Hormuz, its arrival is very timely Royal navy source

With Hull construction completed the company have scheduled fit-out and dry trials running on through early 2020 before it moves into sea trials by mid-2020.

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The Vision of the Fjords is a premium sightseeing vessel designed from the ground up to enhance passenger`s sightseeing experience and reduce the vessels environmental footprint. The catamaran is 42 meter long, 15 metres wide and built in lightweight carbon fibre composite. The vessel is classed by DNVGL and certified for 400 passengers.

The winner was announced during the SMM exhibition in Hamburg, where both the operator and yard representatives were present at the ceremony.

The voting panel at the awards said that the ship is truly innovative, with efficient diesel propulsion for long distance transfer and electric propulsion for quiet and pollution-free sightseeing in the beautiful UNESCO-listed Norwegian fjords. The design of the vessel itself, a catamaran with a carbon-fibre hull and the modern passenger facilities adds to the overall feeling that this is something completely new.

With a slender hull designed by Paradis Nautica, equipped with a hybrid propulsion system developed by Mancraft, the new build can reach a top speed of 19 knots. The propulsion control and automation system is delivered by Marcontrol, the battery system by ZM/LG, while drives and power management system are delivered by ABB.

The exterior design is inspired by a twisting mountain road and gives the passengers freedom to walk around the ship while enjoying the scenery. Inside, the vessel has passenger accommodations on two decks, featuring large panoramic windows, seating in a variety of configurations and a large refreshment kiosk on the main deck.

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Efficient and lightweight propulsion is key to reducing the environmental impact of a modern yacht, and the luxury yacht builder has been working with Rolls Royce to create this new propulsion system for their new range of megayachts.

The new Azipull Carbon 65 uses carbon fibre material for load carrying parts, resulting in a substantial reduction of the propulsion system’s weight. The new thrusters also facilitate a better vessel lay out while maintaining high propulsion efficiency, excellent manoeuvring capabilities and easy maintenance.

Designed at the beginning for fast yachts, with further applications in passenger vessels and work boats, the Azipull Carbon brings to the market a lightweight, reliable and highly efficient propulsion system with very low noise and vibration levels.

The first thruster in the series, AZP C65, is designed for a power rating of 2 MW and fitted with a fixed pitch, pulling type propeller – meaning the propeller faces forward. The driveline is designed with two spiral bevel gear sets, installed in a supporting structure that ensures optimum load carrying capacity in all operating conditions. The thruster can be steered using a hydraulic system. An Automation and Control system, based on Rolls-Royce’s Common Controls building blocks, has also been developed to match the new thrusters, which each weigh only 2,800 kg (dry).

The contract covers a number of thrusters, planned for delivery over the next three years and delivered to RINA Rules for Classification of Yachts. The first yacht, a 125 ft Fast Displacement called IRONMAN has already been delivered. Hulls two and three are under construction with delivery expected in the next few months.

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The boat was manufactured by family run shipyard Brodrane Aa, a specialists in carbon-fibre vessels. Founded in 1947 the company switched to using composite materials in the 1970’s and were the first to create a GRP-sandwich vessel to be approved by DNV. In 2002 Brødrene Aa launched the worlds first commercial passenger vessel made from carbon fibre and has led to a new era of shipbuilding for the company.

The ferry will use its diesel engine to reach the start of the UNESCO heritage area whilst cruising at around 20 knots. Once at the entrance the boat will switch to battery mode, decreasing speed to 8 knots to reduce energy usage and comply with speed limits.

The lightweight carbon fibre construction allows the battery-powered boat to navigate its route through the UNESCO heritage on a single charge. The diesel engine can be used to either power or charge the batteries on the boat and the company have built hydro-electric charging stations in Flam and Gudvangen where the ferry can get its batteries fully charged in around 20 minutes.

The operator hopes to start commercial operations with the vessel in a month and are already thinking about ordering a sister ship, with the ultimate goal to replace all of its diesel-powered vehicles with completely quiet and non-polluting ones.

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Aston Martin has partnered with Quintessence yachts to create the 37 foot vessel and features a high-tech carbon fibre composite structure. The AM37 will be available in two models, a classic “gran truism” powerboat and will feature a top speed of around 44 knots, while the AM37 S will reach 52 knots and will be optimised to give a full on sports experience.

Inside, the cabin will be a mixture of sculptured wood and hand stitched leather, the high tech dash will have a HD interactive touch screen monitor and will support interactive voice controls.

The yacht’s design is still yet to be fully unveiled and is scheduled to debut at the Monaco Yacht Show in September.

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The lightweight modular hull is built from composite materials, and weighs in at just 100kgs and is made to be stable at all times because of the foil design, which places the centre of gravity 26 ft (eight metres) above the vessel.

The manufacturers say the Quadrofoil is completely environmentally friendly due to its custom made electric outboard motor propulsion and special steering system. C-foil technology allows the watercraft to fly on water at cruising speed and with several times better efficiency than any other personal craft on the market. The buoyancy force which lifts the vessel above the surface minimises the drag and improves overall battery life.

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The technology that goes into the steering works as a stabilisation system and makes the vessel responsive on the water and prevents drifting. The craft is designed to be almost unsinkable due to its airtight top module and foil hydrodynamics that create automatic balancing and stabilisation. When airborne at 12 km/h it flies over water and with ergonomic and soft seats premium comfort is achieved.

The boat started shipping this month and will set you back around £18,0000 with a special edition promised soon.

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With this new speed boost the Reptiles interior has been modified for increased stability and now all the seats have been equipped with an anti-shock suspension system to keep you comfy whilst doing those high-speed turns.

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The company allows clients to customise the compact vessels according to their needs, including the colour of the vehicle, layout, interior design touches and engines, there’s even an option to have a transformable sofa that turns into a double bed, along with a tiny kitchen and private bathroom.

The Jet Capsule range comes in many different configurations and according to its Italian designers, can be used as a compact yacht, taxi, police and emergency response vehicle. Prices start from £126,000 for the basic model and more information can be found on the Jet Capsule website.

Images: Copyright Jet Capsule

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