Jacobsen of the United States Orders the First Commercial Electric Hydrofoil Pilot Boat

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On November 4, Jacobsen Pilot Service of Long Beach, California, ordered a fully electric hydrofoil pilot boat, which is planned for ship pilotage operations at the Port of Long Beach. This is the first electric hydrofoil pilot boat to enter commercial operation in the United States. It will be built by Artemis Technologies of Belfast, Northern Ireland, and is expected to be delivered by the end of 2027. The new vessel will carry out all-weather pilotage missions in the port alongside the company's existing pilot boat fleet and is expected to account for about 30% of the company's annual pilot boat operating hours.

The new vessel is the Artemis EF-12 Pilot, with a length of 12 meters. It adopts Artemis's self-developed eFoiler electric hydrofoil technology, has a maximum service speed of 25 knots, and can carry 4 pilots and 2 crew members. During navigation, the hydrofoil system lifts the hull out of the water, reducing drag and energy consumption between the hull and the water flow; when approaching large vessels to transfer pilots, the boat returns to displacement mode and maintains hull stability through an active flight control system to adapt to berthing and personnel transfer operations.

Once in operation, the vessel is expected to reduce diesel consumption by about 40,000 gallons (about 151,000 liters) per year and lower carbon dioxide emissions by about 400 tons. The above figures were calculated by Artemis Technologies based on the vessel's expected operating profile. To support the purchase, the Port of Long Beach has provided US$3.23 million in funding for the project through the Systemwide Freight Transportation Investment Program (SWIFT). The program is funded by the California Department of Transportation's port and freight infrastructure projects and mainly supports clean freight and projects that improve air quality in port areas.

Before delivery of the new vessel, Artemis still needs to complete verification of the vessel's performance and adaptability to pilotage operations. Previously, the company conducted vessel contact tests at the Port of Cork, Ireland, using 4 different types of vessels with lengths of 90 to 158 meters for 15 contact tests, focusing on evaluating the stability and maneuverability of the pilot boat when approaching large vessels, during alongside transfer, and during departure. Jacobsen also conducted on-site tests of the company's hydrofoil technology in San Francisco and Belfast before finalizing the purchase.