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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Read more:
World's first commercial hyperloop to launch in Abu Dhabi next year
Construction on Abu Dhabi's hyperloop to begin next summer
First Hyperloop TT passenger pod unveiled in Spain
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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.”
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Paris Can Wait
Dir: Eleanor Coppola
Starring: Alec Baldwin, Diane Lane, Arnaud Viard
Two stars
The%20specs
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Match info
Australia 580
Pakistan 240 and 335
Result: Australia win by an innings and five runs
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Quick facts on cancer
- Cancer is the second-leading cause of death worldwide, after cardiovascular diseases
- About one in five men and one in six women will develop cancer in their lifetime
- By 2040, global cancer cases are on track to reach 30 million
- 70 per cent of cancer deaths occur in low and middle-income countries
- This rate is expected to increase to 75 per cent by 2030
- At least one third of common cancers are preventable
- Genetic mutations play a role in 5 per cent to 10 per cent of cancers
- Up to 3.7 million lives could be saved annually by implementing the right health
strategies
- The total annual economic cost of cancer is $1.16 trillion
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
Specs – Taycan 4S
Engine: Electric
Transmission: 2-speed auto
Power: 571bhp
Torque: 650Nm
Price: Dh431,800
Specs – Panamera
Engine: 3-litre V6 with 100kW electric motor
Transmission: 2-speed auto
Power: 455bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: from Dh431,800
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
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On sale: Now
