Candela’s hydrofoil electric boats picked for Saudi’s ‘megacity of the future’

Candela, a Swedish maker of sustainable, electric hydrofoil vessels, has revealed that it will supply a fleet of P-12 electric hydrofoil ships for NEOM, a sustainable “megacity project” in Saudi Arabia.

As informed, NEOM has procured an initial batch of eight foiling electric shuttle ships, making it the largest announced order in Candela’s history.

Candela will supply its P-12 ships, dubbed the world’s first electric hydrofoil vessels, for the planned water network in NEOM, which is taking shape in Northwest Saudi Arabia.

“The P-12 is designed to create zero-emission water transport systems which have significant improvements over traditional water commuting,” said Gustav Hasselskog, CEO and founder of Candela.

“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. All daily necessities and services will be just a short boat commute away.”

According to Candela, the first batch of eight vessels will be delivered in 2025 and early 2026.

To remind, Candela P-12 was launched last year and is set to debut in Stockholm’s public transport during the fall of 2024.

Flying above the waves on computer-guided underwater wings, hydrofoils, the P-12 uses 80% less energy than conventional ships, allowing it to combine long-range and high speed for the first time in an electric vessel.

With a speed of 25 knots and more than 2 hours of endurance, the Candela P-12 holds the distinction of being the fastest and longest-range electric passenger ship to date, the company noted.

The P-12’s digital flight control system balances the ship 100 times per second by adjusting the hydrofoils’ angle of attack, keeping it stable even in winds and waves, it added.

As fuel usage rather than the manufacturing phase makes up the bulk of a ship’s environmental impact, energy efficiency is crucial to curb emissions.

Candela emphasized that the foiling vessels use 80% less energy than conventional ships of the same size. A life cycle analysis performed by the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm revelaed that a P-12 will emit 97.5% less CO2 during its lifetime compared to a conventional diesel vessel of the same size.

“We’re extremely proud to provide a vessel system designed with both passengers and the environment in mind. Short waiting times, quick connections, and a very enjoyable experience without taxing the environment with wakes, emissions, and noise will revolutionize how we travel on water,” Hasselskog concluded.