After sailing for more than 48,000 kilometers using only solar energy, the MS Turanor PlanetSolar heading for Abu Dhabi for the World Future Energy Summit next month arrived in Doha.

The 95 tonne solar ship (35 meters long and 23 meters wide), the biggest ever built, dropped anchor in the Qatari capital where it will stay at the wharf until mid January before leaving for Abu Dhabi as a guest of honor to the World Future Energy Summit which will take place from January 16th 2012 to January 19th 2012. Departed on September 27th 2010 from Monaco's harbor for a journey around the world from the East to the West and after having crossed the Indian Ocean, the MS Turannor PlanetSolar will celebrate New Year's eve in Doha.

This stopover will allow the crew to rest for a few days before starting their journey back to the Mediterranean. While in Doha, the crew of PlanetSolar are meeting students and researchers to share their vision of a world where ecology and economy work in synergy.

This stage in the Arabian Gulf will lead the ship and its crew to Dubai and will end in Abu Dhabi at the summit. PlanetSolar has been initiated by the Swiss Raphaël Domjan and has its headquarters in Yverdon les Bains in Switzerland.

The ship was assembled in Kiel, Germany, and is a catamaran functioning exclusively on solar energy. It is covered by 537 square meters of photovoltaic cells. After two years of designing and building, PlanetSolar is at the heart of numerous technologic breakthroughs, in the field of composite materials production and solar energy stocking in particular.

(Sourced from www.khaleejtimes.com)