Beijing, December 11, 2014 - On December 8, Switzerland-based Solar Impulse announced that Solar Impulse 2, its latest solar powered aircraft, will depart in March 2015 to complete the world's first solar powered flight around the world and China will be an important stop in the trip. As the world's leading power and automation technology group, ABB is a major partner of this historic endeavor.
Bertrand Piccard, innitiator, chairman and pilot of Solar Impulse and André Borschberg, co-founder, CEO and pilot of the project will jointly fly the Solar Impulse 2, taking off from Abu Dhabi. The aircraft will fly over China and land in Chongqing and Nanjing respectively, then continue to fly across the Pacific to complete the round-the-world flight, which is estimated to take some 4-5 months in total.
Solar Impulse 2 is an aircraft which can fly day and night continuously without fuel or polluting emissions. The 17,000 solar cells installed on its 72-meter wings will provide clean energy to the four electric motors of the aircraft. During the day, the solar cells will recharge a 633 kg lithium battery, thus providing a steady stream of power for non-stop flight day and night. During the short stays in China, the two pilots will share both their pioneering spirit and this revolutionary solar powered aircraft with the public.
The Solar Impulse project aims to encourage people to be more pioneering and work together to improve the quality of human life. By achieving what many thought impossible, this round-the-world flight will fully demonstrate to the world the enormous potential of clean technology and renewable energy. The concept of innovation and environmental protection delivered by the project is also fully consistent with ABB's vision of "Power and productivity for a better world". As global leaders of the industry, ABB and Solar Impulse have formed a close partnership, to jointly build a better world through innovation and clean technologies.
ABB is a global leader in renewable energy, sustainable transport and energy efficiency. The company is the world's second-largest supplier of solar inverters and one of the largest suppliers to the wind power industry. It is also a leader in integrating renewables efficiently and reliably into power grids. The breakthrough innovation of a high-voltage direct current circuit breaker in 2012 will enable the grid of the future. In March 2014, ABB announced that it will provide DC fast charging solutions to Shenzhen BYD Daimler New Technology Co., Ltd. over the next six years to support the development of sustainable urban transportation in China. From exploration to consumption, ABB improves energy efficiency across the entire value chain from exploration to consumption.
Innovation is ABB's DNA and has driven ABB's development process for over a century. Currently, ABB Group invests more than $1.5 billion in R&D and innovation every year to help customers reduce energy consumption, improve production efficiency and lower environmental impact. In China, ABB's local R&D team, with more than 2,000 professionals, has been dedicated to contributing to the sustainable development of China through energy efficient smart technologies and products.
ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility, industry, and transport and infrastructure customers to improve performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 145,000 people. ABB has a full range of business activities in China, including R&D, manufacturing, sales and services, with 19,000 employees, 37 local companies, and an extensive sales and service network across 109 cities.
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