Wednesday, 26 September 2012

'TURANOR'-The Largest Solar Boat

Solar Power the free inexhaustible resource and boon to   life on earth.The Sun has been overwhelmingly radiating the rays  all around  and that has been  so crucial for the existence of life on this green planet.But have we really optimally  harnessed this abundant solar power available to us .That question remains unanswered  for most of us.Yes we do have a bunch of solar appliances we could boast of  like for e.g Solar heaters,solar cookers etc.But these are just negligible usage as compared to the enormous solar heat the earth surface absorbs.
On September 27,2010 TURANOR  planet Solar boat   designed by LOM Ocean Design  built by Knierim  Yachtbau    in Kiel,Germany has  a different story to tell us.Thanks to Raphael Domjan  the original visionary of the solar power backed boat.TURANOR  set off with a five member crew and a capacity to hold 50 passengers.it has a length of 31 meter,15 meter in width  which is covered in 537 square meters of solar panels.These solar panels provide power to four electric  motors  having a maximum output of 120 KW .
The main objective to set out on a world trip was to  rely totally on the  power  of the sun. The body is made of light durable carbon fibre  so that longevity and buoyancy is maintained.
The team travelled  from Monaco and crossed the Atlantic Ocean , the Panama Canal ,Pacific Ocean,Indian Ocean,Suez Canal and arrived back in Hercules  Harbour in Monaco after 18 months of circumnavigation on May 4,2012.The team had been working on this idea since conception for the past 8 years and saw their dreams realised when the boat became fully operational on solar power and completed the navigation successfully.
Solar power is the best green option available to mankind to harness electricity.Taking in to consideration the depleting coal reserves and fossil fuels resorting to thermal power may not be a viable  option to depend  on in the long run.Further solar projects are safe and do not  render hazardous waste back to the environment.
However the boat gained wide attractions of the tourists due to the strange  label it possessed.It was a  pleasure for the whole crew and to the marine life under the sea waters because of the silent and eco friendly propelling system.The crew quipped and admitted the fact that during one of the stopovers at Sardinia the crowd gave a warm  hospitality to the crew with the programme and competitions that awaited them.At almost every stopover they received a grand welcome and appreciation from VIPs , ministers and deputies of Islands who had come to take a view of the first  large solar  venture sailing  in the sea.

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