CRI听力: Germany Builds World's Largest Solar-powered Boat

What claims to be the world's largest solar-powered boat has been unveiled in Germany. The vessel named "Planet Solar" is now preparing for its launch, followed by an epic trip around the world.

Our reporter Li Dong has the details.

Reporter:

No need to hoist the sails aboard this yacht. Sunshine is what the biggest solar-powered boat needs. The catamaran-style yacht has some 500 square meters of solar panels on its surface.

The vessel was unveiled last week. It's about 31 meters long, almost 15 meters wide, and 7.5 meters high.(www.hXen.com)

The project initiator and skipper Raphael Domjan says the boat must now be tested.

"(We have) almost finished the construction of the boat. Now, we have to test the boat. It will be a very important part of the project and then it will be the world tour. So, I am very excited to go in this boat around the world."

The vessel's formal launching is scheduled for April. After that, there are plans to take the yacht on an around-the-world journey in 2011.

Domjan says the only thing onboard that won't be powered by the sun is the stove, which runs on gas.

"During the world tour, we will only use the energy from our solar generator, because, of course, otherwise it wouldn't be a world tour with solar energy…The cooker will be with gas, but all the rest of the boat, I mean, the electric engine, the propeller but also the computer, the light, everything, will be with solar energy from our solar generator."

The vessel took 13 months to build at the Knierim Yachtbau shipyard in the northern German city of Kiel.

Steffen Mueller, head of the project at the shipyard, says the team is looking forward to the launch.

"So, of course, the next big milestone is to get this boat to the water. To be honest, we can't really wait for it. Today, we have turned the propeller for the first time, and we certainly want to make this in the water. We think that we will go to the water in April and drive with the boat for the first time then."

The boat was designed by Planet Solar SA of Switzerland with the help of New Zealand-based boat designer Craig Loomes.

For China Drive, I am Li Dong.