[Ferro-Alloys.com] Tata Steel and TuTr Hyperloop sign a MoA to develop and deploy Hyperloop technology, the future of high-speed sustainable mobility system

Tata Steel and TuTr Hyperloop’s Hyperloop Technology: Key Points

• A high-speed, affordable, sustainable option for transportation of both people and goods is the hyperloop. Key components of the hyperloop system include tubes, capsules, propulsion systems, and track.
• Levitated autonomous pods move through a system of evacuated tubes. It promises to be 10 times more energy-efficient than rail and road transportation, utilise 2-3 times less area, and offer quicker journey times than flight.
• Tata Steel’s key areas of expertise are the design and development of steel and composite materials.
• Tata Steel has chosen Hyperloop as an ideal breakthrough technology in the field of future mobility, in keeping with its strategy aim to produce future-ready sustainable business.
• A leader in this field, TuTr, a deeptech business based in India’s IIT Madras, promises a cheap hyperloop solution as its primary value proposition.
• TuTr excels at designing propulsion systems and pods. Designing, developing, and scaling up the technology for commercialization are the shared goals of Tata Steel and TuTr.
• The phase-I activity will take place on the 50-meter test track at IIT Madras.
• Phases II and III will see the completion of the ensuing work to create a 10-km track with the assistance of a group of additional industrial partners from the automotive, construction, and engineering sectors.

Tata Steel and TuTr Hyperloop signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) at IIT Madras on December 23, 2022, to jointly work on development and deployment of Hyperloop technology at scale. The main research areas will focus on key challenges of design and materials selection.

Hyperloop is a future option for high-speed, low cost, sustainable transport system for both passengers and cargo. The hyperloop system has key elements such as tubes, pods, propulsion systems, and track. Autonomous, levitated pods travel through a network of evacuated tubes. It promises 10x more energy-efficiency than road transport and aviation, uses 2-3x less space than rail and road, and enables shorter travel duration than aviation.

Dr. Debashish Bhattacharjee, Vice President, Technology & New Materials Business, Tata Steel, said: “We encourage and foster homegrown technologies and are committed to drive them towards commercial success. Globally, Hyperloop holds huge potential for high-speed sustainable transportation of tomorrow. We believe that this disruptive mobility technology can achieve its stated objective through concerted efforts of TuTr Hyperloop and Tata Steel, leveraging their core capabilities. As a materials company committed to sustainable business, we will contribute to finding solutions to critical challenges in the Hyperloop journey by leveraging our R&D capabilities and the Tata ecosystem.”

R Balaji, Co-founder & CEO, TuTr Hyperloop said: “We are delighted to be working with Tata Steel on this breakthrough project. We are currently developing and testing various options to make Hyperloop technology solution a global benchmark in terms of cost and efficiency. To meet this objective, we need to leverage the capabilities of global leaders like Tata Steel. Partnership with Tata Steel will enable us to solve materials and design related challenges and drive Hyperloop to become a reality.”

Tata Steel has core expertise in design & development of steel and composite materials. In line with its strategic intent to develop future ready sustainable business, Tata Steel has identified Hyperloop as an opportune breakthrough technology in the area of future mobility. TuTr, a deeptech startup incubated out of IIT Madras, India, is a front runner in this space and is promising a low-cost hyperloop solution as its key value proposition. TuTr has unique strength in pod and propulsion system design. Tata Steel and TuTr jointly aim to design, develop, and scale up the technology for commercialisation. The phase-I work will happen on the 50m test track at IIT Madras. The subsequent work to achieve a 10-km track will be completed in Phase II & III involving a consortium of other industry partners from the Automotive, Construction and Engineering sectors.

About TuTr Hyperloop

TuTr Hyperloop is a deeptech startup that is focused on developing hyperloop technologies. Its endeavour is to provide customers with fast and reliable ‘on-demand’ transportation that is both affordable and greener in comparison with other modes of transport. Currently, India’s (and Asia’s) first hyperloop test track is under implementation at the Discovery campus of IIT Madras. TuTr seeks to leverage its partnership with IIT Madras and its co-location with India’s largest deep tech ecosystem to catalyse the development of cost-effective Hyperloop technologies that help enhance the productivity of various industries by solving their pain points with regards to goods movement.

About Tata Steel

Tata Steel group is among the top global steel companies with an annual crude steel capacity of 34 million tonnes per annum. It is one of the world's most geographically diversified steel producers, with operations and commercial presence across the world. The group recorded a consolidated turnover of US $ 32.83 billion in the financial year ending March 31, 2022.

• [Editor:tianyawei]