Saudi Arabia‘s Neom, a $500 billion tourism development, will use the world’s first electric hydrofoil ship, the Candela P-12, to provide water network services for the development. Neom has acquired eight of the foiling, electric shuttle ships.
According to Gustav Hasselskog, CEO and founder of Candela, “the P-12 is designed to create zero-emission water transport systems which have significant improvements over traditional water commuting.”
In contrast to the big, slow, and energy-inefficient traditional ferries used in legacy systems, the Candela P-12 is a smaller, speedier unit that enables passengers to go farther and more frequently. All daily needs and amenities will be accessible with only a brief boat ride away.
Sustainable transport
The P-12 uses 80% less energy than traditional ships while flying above the waves on computer-guided underwater wings called hydrofoils. The Candela P-12 is the fastest and longest-range electric passenger ship to date, reaching up to 25 knots and having a maximum endurance of over two hours. Its digital flight control system balances the ship 100 times per second by varying the angle of attack of its hydrofoils, keeping it stable even in gusts and waves. This will allow passengers to travel over the Red Sea in comfort.
A life cycle analysis conducted by the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm found that a P-12 will emit 97.5% less CO2 during its lifetime than a conventional diesel vessel of the same size because Candela’s foiling vessels use 80% less energy than traditional ships of the same size.
Underwater, the electric Candela C-POD motors are quiet and housed in pods, causing little to no disruption to aquatic life. The P-12’s small wake when in flight permits faster travel in areas where traditional ships’ large and destructive wakes limit their speed.
Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia unveiled plans for a 2034 FIFA World Cup stadium on top of The Line at Neom. The 46,000-seat stadium was revealed as part of Saudi Arabia’s uncontested bid to FIFA to host the 2034 World Cup.
