Sustainable Travel

Condor Ferries to operate Zero-Emission Pilot Scheme between Bangor and Belfast 

As part of the Belfast Maritime Consortium, Ards and North Down Borough Council welcomes the announcement from Condor Ferries of the plan to operate the world's most advanced zero-emission commuter ferry service between Belfast and Bangor.  The ferry service, to commence in 2024, will act as a pilot scheme for the revolutionary fast passenger ferries currently under development by the consortium, led by Artemis Technologies. 

The vessels will be powered by the transformative Artemis eFoiler ® enabling them to fly above the water, allowing for a comfortable ride, producing minimal wake at high-speed, while using up to 90 per cent less energy than some conventional ferries. 

The Belfast Maritime Consortium is a 14-member syndicate which has brought together a range of industry, academia and public bodies, including, Artemis Technologies, Ards and North Down Borough Council, Belfast City Council, Belfast Harbour, Belfast Met, Catalyst, Condor Ferries, Creative Composites, Invest Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Advanced Composites Engineering (NIACE), Power NI, Queen's University Belfast, Spirit AeroSystems, and Ulster University. 

The consortium was awarded a grant of £33 million by UKRI's flagship Strength in Places Fund for the £60m project. 

Condor Ferries operates a number of commercial ferry routes between the Channel Islands, mainland UK and France. The company was acquired in 2020 by the Columbia Threadneedle European Sustainable Infrastructure Fund.