Solar-powered catamaran goes 37,294-miles around the world in 584 days

Washington, May 5 (ANI): Eight years after the idea of travelling around the world aboard a ship powered entirely by solar energy was conceived, MS Turanor PlanetSolar catamaran pulled into port in Monaco on Friday after completing a 37,294-mile journey around the world.

In the spring of 2004 Raphael Domjan, a Swiss electrical engineer, conceived of the borderline insane idea. In 2008 he formed a partnership with German entrepreneur Immo Stroeher, who helped provide the funds to make this idea possible.

"We have shown that we have the technologies as well as the knowledge to become sustainable and safeguard our blue planet," LA Times quoted hima s saying in a statement.

The ship, designed by New Zealander Craig Loomes, is made of a durable lightweight carbon material and is covered with 38,000 solar cells that feed power to six blocks of lithium-ion batteries.

"Each new sunrise provides the catamaran with the light needed to continue its journey," the PlanetSolar team wrote on its website.

It took the 115-foot boat 584 days, roughly 19 months, to make it all around the world. That is admittedly not a super-fast pace.

But there were stops along the way to promote solar power and even an encounter with pirates. There was also some waiting for the sun to come up to power those lithium batteries. (ANI)