Electric boats from Swedish Candela to become significant water transport in Red Sea
A whole fleet of Candela hydrofoiling electric boats is set to be deployed on the Red Sea
Swedish Candela Speed Boat has signed a landmark deal with Saudi NEOM project, aimed at the development of tourist and marina infrastructure on the Red Sea coastline belonging to the Kingdom. With the help of this project the country is planning to diversify its economy and swtich the focus from oil production to sustainable tourism.
Candela is the world’s first company to develop all-electric hydrofoiling boats capable of rising above the water surface, which provides less pitching and makes them considerably more comfortable. In addition, this kind of movement saves a lot of energy spent on overcoming friction and drag. Today the company offers a few models both for individuals and businesses.
NEOM has already acquired the first batch of 12-metre Candelas P-12. The model is available in three modifications: Shuttle, Business and Voyager. The first one is meant to work as a water taxi for 30 passengers and a captain. The Business version features premium interior and can accommodate up to 20 passengers. The Voyager version is a highly adaptable full-custom vessel for 12 passengers. The Candela P-12 can reach a top speed of up to 30 knots and has a range of 40 nautical miles (a little over 70 km) at a cruising speed of 25 knots, which is quite sufficient for short rides according to the designers.
“The P-12 is designed to create zero-emission water transport systems which have significant improvements over traditional water commuting. 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," said Gustav Hasselskog, CEO and founder of Candela.
The Candela P-12 is set to make her debut as part of Stockholm public transport in the autumn of 2024. Her operation in Saudi Arabia is due to start in 2025 and early in 2026.
You have successfully subscribed to our newsletter
