A study, led by high-performance maritime design and applied technologies company Artemis Technologies has been awarded £533,000 to investigate transformative solutions to decarbonise crew transfer vessel (CTV) operations in the offshore wind sector.

The grant, announced at London International Shipping Week, has been awarded as part of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition funded by the Department for Transport and delivered in partnership with Innovate UK.

Artemis Technologies is partnering with Tidal Transit, an experienced CTV owner and operator; ORE Catapult, a research technology organisation specialising in the offshore renewables sector; and Lloyd’s Register, a globally respected maritime classification society.

It will seek to demonstrate the transformative power of the revolutionary Artemis eFoilerTM electric propulsion system to drive down carbon emissions in global CTV operations.

Dr Iain Percy OBE, CEO at Artemis Technologies said: “Operating for an average of 250 days a year, crew transfer vessels burn around 1,500 litres of diesel a day. Equating to almost 475,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions across the UK and EU annually, they are a major pollutant. With global offshore wind capacity set to soar over the coming decades, including the UK government targeting a four-fold increase by 2030, it is imperative that a solution to decarbonise CTV operations is brought to market quickly. We are pleased to be leading this project alongside a number of expert partners. Working together, industry can create the disruptive solutions required to enable the decarbonisation of CTV operations in line with global goals to reduce CO2 emissions.”

The study will use digital twin technology and include a full mission simulation of an eFoilerTM propelled CTV undertaking crew transfer operations, as well as provide a regulatory roadmap towards certification of the technology.

Leo Hambro, Commercial Director, Tidal Transit added: “We are very excited to be working with Artemis Technologies on this game changing CTV design change. As a green industry we need to find a way to utilise the vast quantity of cheap zero carbon electricity produced by our clients and shift away from our reliance on diesel. The eFoiler aims to deliver an electric solution that would work even at the most far from shore projects over time and will revolutionise the industry.”

Additionally, the companies are partnering on a £2.8m project led by MJM Power which will test an on-turbine electrical vessel charging system.

Artemis Technologies is also part of the Northern Ireland Green Seas consortium, led by Power NI, which is receiving £398,000 in funding to investigate shore power and hydrogen bunkering solutions.

Announced in March 2020, and part of the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan to position the UK at the forefront of green shipbuilding and maritime technology, the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition is a £20m investment from government alongside a further £10m from industry to reduce emissions from the maritime sector.

The programme is supporting 55 projects across the UK, including projects in Scotland, Northern Ireland and from the south-west to the north-east of England.

Marex Media