Solar-powered ship heading for energy summit

ABU DHABI — After sailing for more than 48,000km using only solar energy, the MS Tûranor PlanetSolar heading for Abu Dhabi for the World Future Energy Summit next month arrived in Doha.

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Published: Sat 31 Dec 2011, 12:10 AM

Last updated: Thu 2 Apr 2015, 5:23 AM

The 95-tonne solar ship (35m long and 23m wide), the biggest-ever built, dropped anchor in the Qatari capital where it will stay at the wharf until mid-January before leaving for Abu-Dhabi as a guest of honour to the World Future Energy Summit (WFES) which will take place from January 16 to 19. Departed on September 27 in 2010 from Monaco’s harbour for a journey around the world from the East to the West and after having crossed the Indian Ocean, the MS Tûrannor PlanetSolar will celebrate New Year’s eve in Doha.

This stopover will allow the crew to rest for a few days before starting their journey back to the Mediterranean. While in Doha, the crew of PlanetSolar are meeting students and researchers to share their vision of a world where ecology and economy work in synergy.

This stage in the Arabian Gulf will lead the ship and its crew to Dubai and will end in Abu Dhabi at the summit.

PlanetSolar has been initiated by the Swiss Raphaël Domjan and has its headquarters in Yverdon-les-Bains in Switzerland.

The ship was assembled in Kiel, Germany, and is a catamaran functioning exclusively on solar energy. It is covered by 537m2 of photovoltaic cells.

After two years of designing and building, PlanetSolar is at the heart of numerous technologic breakthroughs, in the field of composite materials production and solar energy stocking in particular.

news@khaleejtimes.com


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