Planet Solar’s Turanor is the world’s largest solar powered vessel. Her maiden voyage began September 27, 2010 in Monaco, and is now in Hong Kong. The ship cost $24 million to build, but will save an exponential amount of money from fuel. It has approximately 5,380 sqft of solar panels and can even power the ship for 3 days in cloudy weather, with excess energy being stored in a giant lithium-ion battery.
The international shipping industry accounts for 4.5% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, per the United Nations. This project proves that the industry can begin to think outside the box as far as new sustainable and efficient types of vessels. Can you imagine the fuel savings for even one transport tanker crossing the Pacific Ocean?
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