Foiling ferries ordered for futuristic desert development

The vessels will be Candela’s P-12, which Candela says uses 80% less energy than conventional vessels, allowing it to last for two hours at 25 knots.

Candela’s C-POD motors are placed in pods under water, giving quiet, minimal disturbance propulsion with negligible wake.

“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.”

The vessels can carry up to 30 people and are to operate in the services on the Red Sea, where the industrial and urban development NEOM is taking shape.

The NEOM development is costing eye-watering sums and includes ‘The Line’, a 170km long city on several levels that is planned to stretch to the Red Sea across desert valleys.

The developers call it ’a mirrored architectural masterpiece towering 500 metres above sea level, and a land-saving 200 metres wide. THE LINE redefines the concept of urban development and what cities of the future will look like.’

The ferries are scheduled for delivery in 2025 and 2026.