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After journeying over 48,000km using only energy from
the sun, the world's largest solar-powered boat docked
in Abu Dhabi last week to mark the opening of the fifth
annual World Future Energy Summit.
The 101-foot MS Tūranor PlanetSolar was launched in
Monaco in September 2010.
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Its year-long journey has taken it past Miami to the Panama
Canal, across the Pacific to the Philippines, before continuing
to Hong Kong, Doha and Abu Dhabi, from where it headed for
Monaco again at the end of the week.
The catamaran is bedecked with 537 square metres of photovoltaic
cells and was built to demonstrate the potential for reducing
the carbon impact of shipping - which, as an industry, is
thought to account for around three per cent of global emissions.
"PlanetSolar's voyage around the world spreads an important
message about renewable energy and sustainable living and
encompasses the ... vision to create a greener future though
a unique platform," said Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, chief
executive of Masdar, Abu Dhabi's green energy developer.
"Sustainable transport has an important role to play in developing
future clean transport solutions and projects such as PlanetSolar
and Solar Impulse - a solar aeroplane - demonstrate innovative
ideas in sustainable transport solutions."
The ship docked close to the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition
Center (ADNEC), which hosted the 5th annual World
Future Energy Summit.
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