Artemis opens new manufacturing facility in Belfast

Artemis Technologies has opened a new facility on Belfast Lough as it prepares to commence testing of its new Artemis eFoiler electric propulsion system.

The 42,200sq ft facility in Titanic Quarter’s Channel Commercial Park will house the company’s manufacturing and engineering teams as it brings to market a range of green technologies and vessels including leisure craft, workboats, passenger ferries, as well as crew transfer vessels for the offshore wind sector.

“It’s incredibly exciting to announce a major milestone for Artemis Technologies, moving into our new facility here in Belfast Harbour. Right in the heart of the Titanic Quarter, and next to several Belfast Maritime Consortium partners,” says Artemis Technologies commercial director, David Tyler.

“It is an important step forward in our mission to help deliver a sustainable maritime future and brings us closer to returning commercial shipbuilding to Belfast – one of the key drivers behind our decision to locate in Northern Ireland.

“From this new facility, we will be able to directly launch our first prototype vessel into the waters of Belfast and begin the crucial phase of real-life testing.”

The first test vessel to be powered by Artemis Technologies’ revolutionary Artemis eFoiler electric propulsion system is an 11m workboat which is expected to take to the water in a matter of weeks.

Artemis Technologies technical director, Romain Ingouf, comments: “The Queen’s Island facility is going to allow us to turn our prototyping activities into a production line for the Artemis eFoiler propulsion system. Over the next year or so we’ll need to double our workforce to support this activity.

“We currently have two vessels here, our first Artemis eFoiler propelled prototype, an 11m workboat, as well as an 11m sister ship, enabling us to benchmark our green propulsion system against a conventional gasoline propelled vessel.”

The development of the vessels is complemented by Artemis Technologies’ advanced simulator located at its Lisburn facility, which informs the design process pre-build to ensure a streamlined and efficient manufacturing project.

Established in 2017, Artemis Technologies is the lead partner of the Belfast Maritime Consortium, a 13-member syndicate that has brought together a range of established and young firms, academia, and public bodies to design and build zero-emission high-speed ferries in the city. The consortium was awarded £33 million by UKRI’s flagship Strength in Places Fund for the £60m project.

James Eyre, commercial director, Titanic Quarter adds: “We are delighted to welcome Artemis Technologies to Channel Commercial Park, which is one of Belfast’s largest and most versatile business parks. Situated in the heart of the city’s Innovation District, Titanic Quarter is home to a growing cluster of leading businesses who are pioneering solutions to combat global climate change and decarbonisation. We wish Artemis every success in their new facility here.”

“What we will create here in Northern Ireland,” concludes Tyler, “we hope will create an impact on a global scale, providing commercially viable solutions that will help not just the UK, but countries across the world to realise their net zero targets.”