South America’s first feasibility study for hyperloop technology completed

A study exploring the potential use of hyperloop technology in Brazil and South America has been completed by Hyperloop Transportation Technologies in partnership with the State Government of Rio Grande do Sul and the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul.

The study is claimed to be the first of the technology in the region and analysed the benefits associated with passenger hyperloop carrier over a period of 30 years. The study explored the associated economic and environmental benefits of connecting Porto Alegre to Caxias do Sul, regions are approximately 137km apart.

Key study findings include:

• A reduction in time spent to travel between the two regions from 2 hours to just 20 minutes at 835km/h.
• Reduced transport costs between the two cities by $435 million over 30 years.
• Energy generation exceeding 3.6 times more than the system consumes in operation.
• The creation of 500,000 jobs during the construction stage.
• Massive reductions in carbon emissions of 95 million tones over 30 years.
• Massive profits to be incurred 14 years after the project launch.
• $5 billion would be generated in land and property appreciation.
• The system will require $7.71 billion to implement and operate.
• Help avoid some 2,000 road accidents.

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Director of HyperloopTT for Latin America, Ricardo Penzin, said: “The feasibility study results are very encouraging, with a reduction in operating costs, a financial return in record time for a mode of transport, and a huge impact on job creation and local tourism. We hope to engage entities linked to the logistics area, route operators, and governments to take the next big step towards innovation and sustainable development in the country.”

Secretary of Innovation, Science and Technology for the State of Rio Grande Sul, Luís Lamb, added: “Hyperloop is one of the technologies with potential disruptive impact on the transport sector and which requires training of people, a chain of specialized suppliers and constant technological evolution. It is not just the implementation of a modern transport line that can improve logistics and transport, it is much more than that. The feasibility analysis of researchers from Rio Grande do Sul shows that economic potentials can be developed from this system, taking into account the advancement of knowledge, sustainability and the demands of society in Rio Grande do Sul.”

Luiz Afonso Senna, project coordinator at the Laboratory of UFRGS Transport Systems, reiterates: “The great differential of this project is the environmental dimension and the ecological footprint with the use of clean and renewable energy.”