Neom orders electric hydrofoils from Sweden
According to the Swedish company, this is the largest order in Candela’s history. The P-12 is a hydrofoil with electric propulsion designed as a passenger ferry. Candela offers the C-8 model as a hydrofoil for (wealthy) private customers.
However, the order from Saudi Arabia is aimed at the planned water transport network in Neom in Northwest Saudi Arabia: the eight P-12 ferries will be used for shuttle services on the Red Sea. However, the exact routes are not mentioned in the press release. When Neom ordered 15 eVTOLs from Volocopter in December 2021, the company specifically mentioned connections from Neom to the industrial city of Oxagon or within the 170-kilometre-long ribbon city ‘The Line.’ However, there are now doubts whether ‘The Line’ can even be realised in this length.
The planned use of the Candela ferries will likely be a different story. The P-12 has been produced in series since last November and will debut on Stockholm’s public transport network this autumn. Depending on the variant, the P-12 can carry up to 30 passengers. A more luxurious business version with up to 20 seats or a smaller model can be used as a water taxi ‘on demand’ rather than as part of the public transport system on fixed routes. The hydrofoil concept should reduce energy consumption (due to the reduced water resistance), thereby increasing the range, and provide a high level of comfort. As a hydrofoil, the P-12 virtually flies over the water; the digital control system balances the ship 100 times per second.
“Unlike legacy systems with large, slow, and energy-inefficient conventional ferries, the Candela P-12 is a smaller and faster unit, allowing much more frequent departures and quicker journeys for passengers,” says Gustav Hasselskog, CEO and founder of Candela. “All daily necessities and services will be just a short boat commute away.”
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