Luxembourg, January 3 (Prensa Latina) Transnational company ArcelorMittal will build the first hyperloop facility in India, a technology proposal aimed at providing greater speed and efficiency in passenger transport, it was reported today.
According to the company's technology director, Pinakin Chaubal, they are facing “a hugely exciting project” because the Hyperloop concepts point to a mobility transition industry in which steel would play an important role.
According to the announcement, ArcelorMittal has partnered with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) to build the first test facility, also in collaboration with the country's Ministry of Railways.
The infrastructure will be built at IIT Madras' Discovery Campus in Thaiyur on the outskirts of Chennai and is expected to be operational by the end of the first quarter of 2024.
ArcelorMittal and ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS) will provide personnel and resources, including skilled engineers and nearly 400 tons of steel, to produce a 400-meter-long pipe for testing the capsule trains.
After completing the testing phase, the next step would be the development of an operational demonstration route to validate the techno-commercial prospects of the initiative in the event of real implementation.
The Hyperloop capsule works by combining several advanced technologies, including magnetic levitation, air propulsion and low-drag tubes.
According to experts, hyperloop systems are also more energy efficient compared to other forms of transportation such as high-speed trains or airplanes.
In addition, they would have less impact on the environment as they consume electrical energy and travel through pipes.
Another plus point would be mass transportation capacity: the Hyperloop could carry thousands of passengers every hour.
mem/mjm