UAE's Hyperloop TT track will integrate with natural world

Sustainability plans of the high speed transport system emerge as testing begins in Toulouse

An artist impression of what a HTT hyperloop station in Abu Dhabi could look like. Courtesy Hyperloop Transportation Technologies

New details have emerged on how the proposed Hyperloop transport technology will look in the UAE - and there is a keen eye on sustainability.

The system’s track will allow room for wildlife nesting areas and beehives as well as incorporating space to grow vertical farms.

Bibop Gresta, co-founder and chairman of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, said he hoped to be one of the first passengers on a test track for the system in Toulouse, France, later this year.

He said solar, wind and geothermal technology would also be utilised to make the technology as sustainable as possible.

“Hyperloop will be something that can grow and give back, rather than consume our natural resources,” Mr Gresta said.

“We want to use renewable technology combined with wind, solar, kinetic energy and, in some climates, thermal energy.

“The cement we aim to use will absorb carbon dioxide and we want to have vertical gardens and farms where we can grow crops for the communities around it.

“This space can be rented out for people to grow their own food. Everything we are designing around the Hyperloop will aim to be a sustainable environment.”

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Hyperloop passengers will travel inside capsules which use electromagnetic levitation technology to travel as fast as the speed of sound.

A commercial track - which will be the first of its kind - is planned for the Seih Al Sderieh landbank between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, close to the Expo2020 site and Al Maktoum International Airport.

Work on the three to five kilometre track is due to begin in the third quarter of this year.

The first capsule, Quintero One, is Hyperloop TT’s jewel in the crown, and the company is already working on a second vehicle.

The original capsule was designed to transport 30 people, but that has been reduced to 20.

“We will show to the world this year that Hyperloop can safely carry passengers,” Mr Gresta said.

“It is a critical moment when everything we have designed and tested up to now is put into practise. Safety is everything to this project.

“Imagine a completely new system that responds on demand to traffic flow, sending small capsules to transport people to where they want to go in the minimal amount of time. It’s a revolution.”

American company Virgin Hyperloop One has developed similar technology and hopes to unveil its version of the high speed mass transport system at the US pavilion at Expo2020.

“Other companies in the market are also very committed and are focusing on delivery,” said Mr Gresta.

“It is not about racing into the market but about creating a safe environment and an opportunity for humanity. The system will be bulletproof.”