World's largest solar-powered boat powers beneath Tower Bridge
as it arrives in Britain in spectacular style
Canary Wharf
* London is last port of call in environmental expedition
across the Gulf stream
* The eco-friendly vessel has a lightweight carbon structure
and
512 square metres of photovoltaic cells
* Launched in Florida, its DeepWater expedition has
collected data
along the Gulf Stream to help scientists get a better idea of
climate change
The world’s largest solar boat has docked in London,
its
final port of call on an epic voyage of scientific discovery
along the Gulf
stream.
The MS Tûranor PlanetSolar cruised along the Thames
yesterday
before docking at Canary Wharf where it will stay until tomorrow.
This is the first time the impressive Catamaran has visited
the UK,
making its grand entrance by floating under an open Tower Bridge
yesterday afternoon.
MS turanor planetsolar: world's largest solar-powered boat
in 2012, 'planetsolar', the fully solar-powered catamaran
designed by
new zealander craig loomes, took a trip around the world energized
exclusively
by rays from the sun.
this summer, the ship will continue its
itinerary by taking part in a campaign
to clean up european waters, a project
initiated by the waste free oceans foundation
that aims to significantly reduce
the floating litter in european waters by 2020.
starting in may, the boat
became a scientific platform
as part of the 'planetsolar deepwater expedition.
the project, led by
professor and climatologist martin beniston from the university
of geneva
will retrieve new data and measurements along the gulf stream.
the
journey will conclude in reykjavik, repeating a transatlantic
crossing in an
attempt
to break the 'MS tûranor planetsolar's' own 26-day speed record.
Planet Solar reaches Europe and stops in Oostende
Having left St. John’s (Canada) on August 6,
the largest
solar ship in the world reached Europe on August 28,
after crisscrossing the
North Atlantic for 23 days
and traveling 4598 kilometers.
During the second
2013
transatlantic crossing, the collection of scientific data
carried as part
of the “PlanetSolar DeepWater” expedition continued.
Transformed into a
scientific platform,
the ship enabled a team of researchers from the University
of Geneva (UNIGE)
to take advantage of her exclusive features in order carry
out
an exclusive campaign of physical and biological measurements along the
Gulf Stream.
A series of events will be held onboard the ship,
which will
remain moored in Oostende until August 30,
before setting sail for London
(United Kingdom).