Faster, cheaper, cleaner: Offshore wind farm tests all-electric, hydrofoil crew transfer vessel

A wind farm off the coast of Aberdeen in Scotland has successfully tested the use of an all-electric, hydrofoil crew transfer boat, a zero emissions take on the specialist marine vessels that transport technicians and other personnel to and from offshore wind farms.

The dual propulsion, 100% electric Artemis EF-12 Crew Transfer Vessel (CTV) was deployed at the Aberdeen Offshore Wind Farm, a fully operational 11-turbine project in the North Sea that is often used as a technology and operations testing ground.

The “milestone” demonstration project was conducted in partnership with energy giant Vattenfall – operator of the offshore wind farm – Tidal Transit, Lloyd’s Register and the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult.

“Facilitating this demonstration was an important step in supporting the decarbonisation of wind farm operations,” said Vattenfall product manager, Kenneth Henriksen, on Wednesday.

The boat is from the Artemis eFoiler range of vessels, which uses a high-voltage marinised 800v battery energy storage system and ultra-high power density electric drivetrain and, in “foiling mode,” travels above the water, making for a smoother journey with less seasickness.

According to Artemis, its eFoiler technology is more than twice as efficient as traditional diesel engines, offering significant range at high-speed, whilst also reducing operational costs through substantial fuel savings.

“Vessels developed with eFoiler propulsion will operate with up to 90% lower fuel costs compared with traditional ferries, with the capability of carrying up to 150 passengers,” the company website says.

The Artemis EF-12 CTV has a cruising speed of 25 knots, which the company says also helps to cut unnecessary and unproductive crew transfer time.

Iain Percy, CEO of Artemis Technologies, says the demonstration of the electric transfer vessel marks a major milestone and the culmination of years of research, design and development.

“This technical demonstration provided an essential platform to test the capabilities of the dual propulsion Artemis EF-12 CTV,” Percy said on Wednesday.

“This included operating in a variety of sea and weather conditions and performing critical bollard push manoeuvres, in order to demonstrate the vessel’s stability, efficiency, and performance.”

The demonstration project was part-funded by UK government through the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) program.