Hyperloop One Could Build Its First System In Dubai

Hyperloop One isn’t letting a tempestuous lawsuit slow it down.

The high-speed transportation startup out of downtown Los Angeles has inked a new partnership with DP World, the third-largest port and terminals operator in the world. The two parties will collaborate on an economic and feasibility study of how Hyperloop technology can improve the efficiency, profitability and sustainability of DP World’s flagship Jebel Ali port in Dubai.

The feasibility study will asses the business case for using Hyperloop to move freight from container ships docked at Jebel Ali to a planned inland container depot, which would free up space at the port and support “more revenue and profit for all stakeholders,” Hyperloop One CEO Rob Lloyd said in a statement.

The assessment will also provide preliminary details on the design of right of way, capital and operating costs as well as potential project finance solutions. DP World may even consider deploying a submerged floating Hyperloop adjacent to its giant new Terminal 4 built on a man-made island.

“We firmly believe that this study is the first step towards the construction of the Hyperloop in Dubai, which could reshape one of the world’s most modern cities and bring even more infrastructure innovation to the United Arab Emirates,” said Shervin Pishevar, co-founder and executive chairman of Hyperloop One.

The system “fits very seamlessly with existing transportation corridors, minimizing any impact on urban Dubai and reducing freeway congestion and emissions,” added Lloyd, and Hyperloop “holds tremendous potential for enhancing our operational efficiencies and ensuring smoother and faster trade flows,” said Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, group chairman and CEO of DP World.

Hyperloop One also has feasibility studies underway in Russia, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland and the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach, but Lloyd told TechCrunch that Dubai could see the first Hyperloop built for commercial use.

An idea originally floated (and trademarked) by Elon Musk, Hyperloop aims to transport passengers and cargo through tubes at speeds exceeding 700 mph.

Source: LA Biz, Annlee Ellingson
Photo: Hyperloop One and DP World will explore bringing the high-speed transportation system to Jebel Ali port in Dubai. (PRNewsFoto, Hyperloop One)