Belfast Harbour is to become a test environment for zero-emission transport and energy technologies following a £15m investment announced by Northern Ireland Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald.
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The funding will support the Zero Emissions Transport and Energy Cluster (ZETEC), a project led by Artemis Technologies that will bring together electric vessels, marine charging infrastructure, autonomous transport and energy systems. The technologies will be connected using secure digital twin technology to assess how they operate together in a working port environment.
The use of Belfast Harbour as a live test environment will allow the partners to assess technologies under operational conditions rather than in isolation.
The investment comes from UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) Local Innovation Partnerships Fund (LIPF) and is the second project announced under the fund’s £30m allocation to the Belfast-Derry Innovation Corridor. The national programme aims to support regional innovation, productivity and economic growth by bringing together businesses, research organisations and local partners.
ZETEC’s delivery partners include Belfast Harbour, the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC), the Digital Catapult’s UK Digital Twin Centre, and the Centre for Secure Information Technologies at Queen’s University Belfast.
The project will test how electric vessels, high-power charging systems and digital technologies perform as an integrated system. The findings are intended to help identify technical and operational challenges, reduce risks and support the commercial adoption of the technologies.
Archibald said the investment would bring together expertise in advanced manufacturing, clean energy, digital technology and cyber security to help develop commercially viable solutions. She added that supporting innovation was central to building a more productive and sustainable economy.
UKRI chief executive Professor Sir Ian Chapman said the project could help bring clean transport technologies to market more quickly by reducing risks associated with the adoption of electric and autonomous systems.
Artemis Technologies, which is leading the cluster, develops electric marine vessels and related technologies. Its involvement places maritime transport at the centre of the programme, alongside the charging infrastructure and digital systems needed to support its deployment.