Solar cat to circle the world - the future for solar energy

by Nancy Knudsen on 11 Apr 2009 Skipper Raphael Domjan and navigator Gerard d'Aboville together with a seafaring band of scientists and engineers are building what they call the largest solar boat in the world, a $13 million catamaran they hope will take them around the world next year.

The world sea voyage powered by solar energy is the dream of Raphaël Domjan. 'I want to prove it is possible,' explained the adventurer from Neuchâtel. 'We want to be the Philéas Foggs of the 21st Century. But beyond Jules Verne’s dream, our project is to serve humanity and the environment and to overtake the classical energies of fossil fuels.'

Construction is well underway on the 98-foot-long vessel, which will feature 5,059 square feet of photovoltaic cells. The project is being funded by Rivendell Holding AG, a Swiss firm that invests in renewable energy, simply to prove it can be done and the shipping industry can reduce its dependence on fossil fuel.

The team plans to circumnavigate the globe at the equator in 120 days at an average speed of 10 knots. Should they succeed, Planet Solar will set a maritime milestone. Solar electric pleasure boats have been tooling around lakes for awhile now, solar electric ferries are increasingly common and a solar electric catamaran called Sun 21 crossed the Atlantic in 29 days. But so far no one's made it around the world in a solar electric boat.

'Solar boats are a viable form of transportation for the future,' Delia Collardi, a spokeswoman for the project, told wired.com. 'Our society is too dependent on fossil fuels, which are in limited supply and which are causing measurable negative effects on the earth's atmosphere. It's now time to demonstrate the potential that renewable energies have to offer in the area of mobility.'

The project still has a long way to go - approximately 24,901.55 miles - but work on the solar cat's hulls is almost complete.

Planet Solar is being built at the Knierim Yacht Club in Kiel, Germany. The vessel, which is shaped something like an arrowhead, will be 98 feet long and 50 feet wide. That climbs to 114 feet and 82 feet when the solar panels are fully unfurled.

There aren't many details on the drivetrain, and Collardi says the batteries 'have not been defined.' A press kit says the boat will weigh 60 tons and feature 470 square meters - 5,059 square feet - of photovoltaic cells that offer 22 percent efficiency.

On the desire of Raphaël Domjan to emulate Phileas Fogg, the adventurous main character of Jules Verne's novel Around the World in Eighty Days, their are getting some moral support. Verne's great-grandson Jean Verne has signed on to the project, which organizers say represents 'humanity's hope for a better future.'

The exact route is still in the planning, but stops in New York, Shanghai, Singapore, Abu Dhabi and Monaco are among those being considered. Supporters and well-wishers will be welcomed aboard, and 50 people can fit inside the catamaran for short jaunts.

Sail-World will be watching its progress.