TÛRANOR PLANET SOLAR has a new owner
MS Tûranor PlanetSolar has been donated to the “Race for Water” foundation and is getting ready for innovative new expeditions.
Docked in Venice, the MS Tûranor PlanetSolar is preparing to return to sea for a new mission. After a meeting in New York at a United Nations conference, the Ströher family decided to offer the solar catamaran to the Race for Water Foundation, which is committed to pursuing the ship’s operation in service of the environment.
The Race for Water Odyssey is a scientific sailing expedition that aims to draw up a comprehensive assessment of plastic ocean pollution. Marco Simeoni, the Race for Water Foundation’s President, is currently in New York, where the expedition has made a stopover. Delighted by this donation, he is very touched by the confidence the Ströher family has shown. Grateful, he reveals his vision of the solar ship’s future:
“I aspire to equip the MS Tûranor PlanetSolar with a mobile laboratory for collecting and analyzing plastic litter in order to fight against ocean pollution. The history of this unique boat and the enthusiasm she generates at each stopover are powerful communication tools that I would like to put to good use to further the cause for water preservation. Moreover, this ship represents a wonderful pedagogical platform.”
The Ströher family is happy to have found the Race for Water Foundation, a successor with similar values that is capable of sustainably pursuing the ship’s operation in service of environmental preservation.
“PlanetSolar’s objective, on one hand, was to conceptualize an idea that would prove the efficiency of solar technologies, and help in their growth and promotion. And on the other hand, it aimed to demonstrate that above and beyond a technological feat, the ship could be used for practical purposes in connection with sustainable development,” stated Immo Ströher, patriarch of the family.
Thanks to the businessman’s financial commitment and significant personal investment since 2007, PlanetSolar was able to go well beyond its initial accomplishment—completing the first exclusively solar-powered trip around the world—to create a sustainable company with a strong brand and international notoriety.
This donation arrived at just the right moment. In fact, the “Race for Water Odyssey”, initiated by the foundation, is in full swing and extensive new scientific data has already been collected. Thanks to this donation, the foundation will be able to start making preparations for the MS Tûranor PlanetSolar’s future campaigns. The ship’s operation has been entrusted to PlanetSolar SA’s experienced teams, that are working in parallel for the promotion and deployment of renewable energies.
About the Race for Water Foundation
Founded in Lausanne in 2010, the Race for Water Foundation’s mission is to preserve our planet’s most valuable resource: water. The foundation is an officially recognized non-profit organization seeking to implement concrete and sustainable actions, focusing on two main themes: protecting oceans and freshwater. Race for Water initiates projects aimed at raising awareness and taking concrete action on the ground. These actions are directed at four target audiences: economic players, political bodies, the scientific community, and the general public—with particular emphasis on future generations.
Race for Water collaborates with organizations such as UNESCO, UNEP, UICN, WWF, and WBCSD. In 2015, the foundation organized the “Race for Water Odyssey”. Its objective: to draw up the first global assessment of plastic pollution in oceans and highlight the dramatic consequences this problem has on the ecosystem and populations. Race for Water will then strive to use the results to develop solutions.
PlanetSolar SA and the Race for Water Foundation are joining forces in the fight against plastic pollution in oceans. Each entity will play a distinct and major role. Through the MS Tûranor PlanetSolar campaigns, the foundation will focus on outreach, education, and lobbying, while PlanetSolar SA will concentrate on the deployment of economically-viable solutions that promote developed technologies.
TÛRANOR PLANET SOLAR - Solar Catamaran
TÛRANOR PLANET SOLAR is the first catamaran to sail around the globe powered exclusively by solar energy. The innovative boat left the Knierim yard in August 2010 for extensive sea trials leading the boat from the Baltic Sea through the North Sea, the Channel, and the Bay of Biscay down to the Mediterranean. This trip has been finished successfully, all systems worked well and the hull proved to be very seaworthy.
The boat started its circumnavigation on September 27, 2010 in Monaco and finished it in May 2013. Stops were Miami, Cancun, Cartagena, the Galapagos Islands, before the boat crossed the Pacific and arrived safely in Brisbane, Australia. Returning later to Monaco via Singapore, Hongkong, Abu Dhabi. Stop overs have been made to introduce the project to as many people around the world as possible and to raise awareness for sustainable energy.
TÛRANOR PLANET SOLAR is a trendsetting master piece regarding the use of solar energy and storing the power over a longer period. Thanks to Knierim’s outstanding experience in building one off boats all technical requirements for this prototype have been executed to the owner’s satisfaction.
TÛRANOR PLANET SOLAR has a length of 31 meters by a width of 15 meters and a displacement of approx. 60 tons. To collect sufficient energy for the electric propulsion the entire deck has been covered with solar moduls plus retractable wings, totalling to a surface area of 537 square meters with 825 solar moduls and 38,000 photovoltaic cells. The energy is stored in lithium ion accumulators with a capacity of totally 1130 kWh. The accumulators weight is 11.7 tons. The energy is transferred into 4 electric motors with 240 kW each. The engines are connected to 2 shafts with surface propellers, which are rotating very slowly but have a high torque.
Source:
Source: Planet Solar SA
http://www.knierim-yachtbau.de/index.php/en/news/94-turanor-planet-solar-has-a-new-owner
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