UAE | Environment

Activist aims to fly around the world on solar power

Bertrand Piccard, 51 from Switzerland, plans to push the boundaries of solar power by flying around the world in a solar aircraft.

  • By Emmanuelle Landais, Staff Reporter, Gulf News
  • Published: 00:00 January 10, 2010
  • Gulf News

  • Image Credit: Supplied
  • Bertrand Piccard from Switzerland plans to push the boundaries of solar power by flying around the world in a solar aircraft. He will talk about the project during the forum.

Abu Dhabi: Renewable energy experts and enthusiasts will throng the capital this month for the World Future Energy Summit taking place from January 18.

Among them will be one man who plans to push the boundaries of solar power by flying around the world in a solar aircraft.

Bertrand Piccard, 51 from Switzerland, is the President of Solar Impulse and an internationally renowned lecturer. He is recorded, along with Brian Jones, to be the first to travel on a non-stop balloon flight around the globe.

While in Abu Dhabi he will present his current project to fly around the world in a solar aircraft.

Promise

"I came up with this idea following the first non-stop, around the world balloon flight in 1999. To achieve this success, we took off with almost four tonnes of liquid propane and landed with only 40 kilos," said Piccard, whose grandfather also set world records in gas balloons.

"Realising that the lack of fuel could have failed our expedition, I made a promise to myself. The next time I'd fly around the world, I'd do it without fuel."

Piccard will be among the speakers of a session titled Achieving the unachievable: around the world in a solar plane. Other panellists include Duncan Hedditch, Chief Executive Emal and Peter Gutman, Global Head, Renewable Energy and Environmental Finance, Standard Chartered Bank and or Katrina Landis, Group Vice-President, BP Alternative Energy. "I am looking forward to talking about the project…[I] hope that it helps to demonstrate the potential of renewable energies," said Piccard.

Solar Impulse's project and core challenge involves flying an aircraft while generating its own power, both day and night, by solar energy. To create this zero fuel aircraft Solar Impulse has been working on new aeronautical solutions. The focus is on reducing energy consumption by using new construction and aerodynamic features.

Daily lives

Other sessions will be taking place on examples of how renewable energy can and is being applied to people's daily lives, including e-mobility, green building and architecture, vehicles, fuels and power trains.

The third edition of the World Future Energy will gather world leaders, experts and investors from 100 countries. Over 600 exhibitors from 50 countries will be exhibiting at the event.

Fast facts: when and where

  • WHAT: World Future Energy Summit
  • WHEN: January 18-21
  • WHERE: Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Centre

For more information on the programme or to register, visit www.worldfutureenergysummit.com

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