Solar Impulse completes round-the-world flight with zero fuel

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Solar Impulse completes the first solar-powered flight around the world, proving that innovation, technology and a pioneering mindset can address global challenges

The solar powered plane landed at its starting point in Abu Dhabi at 04:05 am local time, after a final leg of 48 hours and 37 minutes from Cairo.

“This is a truly historic achievement, with tremendous symbolic significance,” said ABB CEO, Ulrich Spiesshofer. “It demonstrates clearly that with pioneering spirit and clean technologies, we can run the world without consuming the earth. On behalf of everyone at ABB, congratulations to Bertrand Piccard, André Borschberg, and the rest of the Solar Impulse team. We are extremely proud to have been able to contribute to this remarkable project.”

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ABB forged the innovation and technology alliance with Solar Impulse because what the project has achieved in the air, ABB is doing on the ground, as a pioneer of power and automation technologies for 125 years in Switzerland.

"It's a historic first for renewable energy and clean technologies, not only for aviation", said Solar Impulse pilot, initiator and chairman Bertrand Piccard, on arrival." By combining their respective strengths, Solar Impulse and ABB were able to show how breakthrough innovation can be transformed into credible solutions, and how energy can be more efficiently produced, stored and used to create a cleaner world."

ABB in a statement said that to attempt the round-the-world flight, Solar Impulse had to confront many of the challenges that ABB is solving on the ground for its customers, such as maximizing the power yield from solar cells, integrating renewable energy into the electricity distribution systems, and improving energy efficiency.