Flying electric ships are headed to Saudi's NEOM

Saudi Arabia has placed order for eight of Candela's P-12s, the world's first electric hydrofoil ship, to serve the water network at NEOM — the massive sustainable city that the Gulf country is building in its northwest. The order is the largest ever for the Stockholm-based company.

Launched last year, Candela P-12 is set to debut in Stockholm’s public transport during fall 2024.

Flying above the waves on computer-controlled underwater wings or hydrofoils, the P-12 uses 80 per cent less energy than conventional ships. With a speed of 25 knots and more than two hours of endurance, the Candela P-12 is currently the fastest and longest-range electric passenger ship in the world.

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"The P-12 is designed to create zero-emission water transport systems which have significant improvements over traditional water commute,” says 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.”

Meanwhile, the P-12 also enhances the level of comfort with its digital control system balancing the ship 100 times per second by adjusting the hydrofoils' angle of attack, keeping it stable even in winds and waves.