By
Greentech Lead Europe: The Swiss solar-powered plane, Solar Impulse, has
successfully completed the second leg of its record-breaking 2,500-kilometer
intercontinental flight from Switzerland to Morocco. The solar plane flying
from Madrid landed in Rabat, Morocco, to complete its trip.
Solar
Impulse made the trip without one drop of fossil fuel. In Morocco, the Solar
Impulse team will join events highlighting the convergence and capacity of
renewable energy technologies, particularly solar power.
The
solar-powered flight coincides with construction launch in southern Morocco of
the world’s largest solar thermal plant in Ouarzazate. The project is financed
by World Bank. Ouarzazate project will produce 2,000 megawatts of renewable
energy for North Africa and Europe and create jobs for many in the area.
Ouarzazate is the solar plane’s next destination, after a five-day stopover in
Rabat.
“We
share a common message with Solar Impulse. Solar energy is no longer restricted
to the scientific world but is becoming an integral part of our daily
lives,” said Mustapha Bakkoury, president, Moroccan Agency for Solar
Energy.
Bakkoury
called the Solar Impulse flight important for raising awareness about solar
energy’s potential to reduce global dependence on oil.
“This
flight marks a new stage in the history of the project. Landing with a full set
of batteries was extraordinary and represents an increase in confidence in new
technologies,” said Andre Borschberg, pilot of the Solar Impulse.
Altran gets
ready for another significant milestone in Solar Impulse project
Recently,
as part of the Solar Impulse project, Altran, the global innovation and
high-tech engineering consulting firm, accompanied the solar plane in its first
trans-Mediterranean flight from Spain to Morocco. For more than a decade,
Altran’s team of experts has been striving to meet this challenge and transform
this dream into a reality.
editor@greentechlead.com