02/08/2026
If you missed the meeting last week of the Full Council, you'll be able to hear it once more on TUESDAY evening, just after the 8pm news. Some very interesting content, including discussion of a possible electric hydrofoil ferry service from Newlyn to Scilly!
Notebookcheck.net published the following information about the
Artemis passenger ferry earlier this year:
"Artemis recently announced the successful delivery of three EF-24 hydrofoil electric ferries to Belfast. The Artemis EF-24 Passenger is considered a high-speed ferry and uses hydrofoils to move primarily above the water, similar to the Boeing 929 (jetfoil), which is mainly used in East Asia, but significantly larger.
The EF-24 is a new hydrofoil design, offering around 150 seats. Its Boeing counterpart, in contrast, has almost twice the capacity and is powered by an aircraft engine. A few years ago, Kawasaki built a prototype under license from leftover parts. Since then, there has been little development in hydrofoil/jetfoil technology. Maintenance has been very intensive, even though the boats have the potential to replace or supplement air travel.
The EF-24 is now set to open up the waterways with high-speed electric ferries. Three routes are planned in the United Kingdom: from Belfast in Northern Ireland to Bangor in Wales, around the Orkney Islands in Scotland, and from Southampton in England to Cowes on the Isle of Wight.
The entire project has been delayed, as Artemis itself admits in its press release, due to unforeseen obstacles in implementing new propulsion technologies. Artemis is yet to announce when the electric ferries, which are currently being fitted out in Belfast, will go into service. If test runs prove successful, the chances of operation in 2026 look quite good." [ENDS]
