After finishing her 19-month world tour without any fuel, the solar ship MS Tûranor PlanetSolar is preparing to start a new adventure. As a mobile ambassador of solar energy, it will sail the Mediterranean Sea during the whole summer. It is presently en route to Barcelona.
The solar powered yacht PlanetSolar MS TURANOR
After stopping over for the first time since the end of the world tour in Marseille where it was guest to the « European Solar Days », the MS Tûranor PlanetSolar has undergone some maintenance work in the shipyard of La Ciotat in France. The ship has been refurbished and starts now a new navigation. Currently on its way to the port of Barcelona, the ship, which holds many records, is ready to relay its message in favour of renewable energies everywhere in the Mediterranean basin between June and October 2012. The first stopover of this promotion tour will be Barcelona from June 12 to 20. PlanetSolar will be docked at “Moll d’Espanya” close to the Christopher Columbus monument where it will get high visibility in the centre of the Catalan city. Then, the catamaran will head for Calvia in Mallorca (Spain) where it will stay from June 25 to July 6 in Port Adriano.
A new crew on board
After successfully completing the first world tour with solar energy, the eco-adventurers Raphaël Domjan, Erwann Le Rouzic, Christian Ochsenbein and Jens Langwasser have left the ship to return to civilian life. Hence, it is now a brand new crew that is living on board of PlanetSolar. The Frenchman Eric Dumont is now taking on the task as captain. He will be joined by his second, Thomas David, who has already sailed on board of PlanetSolar between New Caledonia and Singapore. Two other sailors are completing the crew.
PlanetSolar as a mobile battery
The MS Tûranor PlanetSolar’s objective will be to travel from city to city in order to show what can be done with the ship’s batteries when they are fully charged. Indeed, more than a ship, it is now a mobile battery that will move across the Mediterranean Sea. It will power different events such as concerts, light shows or exhibitions. There are many possibilities. The ship has shown that it is possible to sail around the world without a single drop of fuel. Now, it wants to convince the public of the commercial viability of solar technologies.
About PlanetSolar
PlanetSolar was initiated by the Swiss Raphaël Domjan and has its headquarters in Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland. The MS Tûranor PlanetSolar, built in Kiel, Germany, is a catamaran powered exclusively by solar energy. It is covered with 537 m2 of photovoltaic panels. After two years of design and construction, PlanetSolar is behind many technological advances, especially in the field of composite manufacturing and storage of solar energy. PlanetSolar is primarily funded by private partners, the Swiss watchmaker Candino and German specialist in energy management Immosolar, but also by public institutions, including the Swiss Confederation, with “Presence Suisse”. Moreover, PlanetSolar uses weather forecasts offered by MeteoFrance. An innovative routing software has been developed specifically for this expedition thanks to the support of the HEIG-VD in Yverdon-les-Bains and the French firm ADRENA.
Details on MS Tûranor PlanetSolar
World Tour Duration: 585 days
Stopovers : 52
Countries visited : 28
Oceans crossed : 3
Seas crossed : 11
Kilometres covered : 60’006
Nautical miles covered : 37’000
Fuel consumption : 0 litre
Energy yield: roughly 260’000 kWh
Length : 35 m / Width : 23 m
Height : 6.10 m / Weight : 95 t
Solar Cells: 38’000 with 18,8% yield
Maximum engine power : 120 kW
Average engine consumption : 20 kW (26.8 HP)
Crew : min 4 people
