Will Dubai Get The First Commercial Hyperloop Route?
The Hyperloop concept has generated quite a lot of buzz in recent times, but nothing solid has emerged yet. Though, of course, Hyperloop One is working on the development of a test structure as we talk.
It turns out that the company may have already identified where the first commercial project will be built as well — a route for Port Jebel Ali in Dubai, which would allow for the ferrying of cargo from ships directly to a container depot elsewhere and would free up valuable port space.
Along with DP World, Hyperloop One will be conducting a feasibility study to assess the prospects of such a project (time efficiency, economics, etc.).
The company’s current CEO (formerly president of Cisco), Rob Lloyd, was recently quoted by TechCrunch as saying the city was wealthy enough and had “the infrastructure, regulatory movement, and kind of capital in place needed” to make such a project a success.
Former CleanTechnica contributor Mariella Moon on Engadget writes: “If Dubai and the company determine that the port will benefit from a high-speed cargo route, they’ll build a network that’s partly submerged in the ocean and partly suspended in the air, as you can see in the render above. It might not be the only Hyperloop route in Dubai, as well — the city is also thinking of building a network that can ferry people to Fujairah, which is on the other end of the UAE, within 10 minutes.”
That render is something, isn’t it? As a reminder here, travel speeds inside those tubes would be as high as 750 miles per hour. The cargo pods moving inside of them would actually be floating somewhat above the surface of the “ground,” thereby greatly reducing friction and allowing for very high speeds and reduced (immediate) energy needs for travel. Obviously, these reduced energy needs would be counterbalanced by the very high capital costs of such a project. The high speed, of course, could make such an approach economically worth it in areas of very high traffic, such as Port Jebel Ali.
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