ArcelorMittal has entered into a partnership with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) to build a hyperloop test facility in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
The facility will be located at IIT Madras’ Discovery Campus in Thaiyur, which spans 163 acres.
ArcelorMittal will work with hyperloop technology teams at IIT Madras, which includes Avishkar Hyperloop, a student team, and TuTr Hyperloop, a startup within the institute.
The hyperloop team aims to advance and commercialise hyperloop technologies for high-speed, affordable, and sustainable transportation.
India's Ministry of Railways is also a partner of this initiative.
As part of the collaboration, ArcelorMittal and ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel (AM/NS) India will provide steel materials along with engineering, design, and project management expertise for the project.
AM/NS India is contributing approximately 400 tonnes of steel for a 400m vacuum tube, where autonomous pods will be tested at speeds of up to 200kmph.
Additionally, AMDEC, ArcelorMittal's design and engineering arm in India, is assigning experienced engineers to the hyperloop team.
The engineers will oversee the project's progress and offer design and engineering expertise during installation.
The test facility is anticipated to become operational by the end of the first quarter of 2024.
IIT Madras Hyperloop Technology Development Team mentor and TuTr Hyperloop co-founder Aravind S Bharadwaj said: “We are extremely delighted with ArcelorMittal’s partnership for this deep-tech initiative which will significantly accelerate our efforts to commercialise Hyperloop technology.
“This dream collaboration between government, academia, and industry has the potential to create an efficient, sustainable, and affordable mass mobility technology for the future - from India for the world.”
ArcelorMittal's collaboration with IIT Madras expands on their existing partnership, focusing on identifying, supporting, and mentoring startups in industrial decarbonisation technologies.
