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SYDNEY (AFP) - The world's first solar- and wind-powered catamaran, developed and built in Australia, was launched this week in Sydney Harbor.
The Solar Sailor, a $1.2 million vessel that can convert its solar panels into sails, has already attracted interest from water transport authorities around the world. The launch prompted New South Wales state Premier Bob Carr to foreshadow the "greening" of Sydney's ferry fleet.
The brainchild of Australian doctor Robert Dane, who sold his medical practice to fund the development, the Solar Sailor can carry 110 passengers at speeds of up to seven knots powered by the sun's rays alone. It may also provide the little New South Wales coastal town of Ulladulla with a long-term source of employment.
Carr said the twin-hulled 21.5 meter (70 foot) vessel, which can reach 15 knots sailing under tradewind conditions, would be showcased during the Olympics. It can be powered from one of four sources or in combination - solar, wind, battery or back-up liquid petroleum gas generator. The vessel produces no exhaust fumes, little noise, and minimal levels of wash.
Carr said New South Wales state government would consider replacing Sydney's current fossil fuel driven ferry fleet. "I would like to be able to boast that we have got ferries running on wind and sun power," he said. "It would be nice if we were able to shift our fleet solely to green power, that is sun and wind power."
Carr said the Olympics offered the ideal opportunity to convert Australian innovations such as the Solar Sailor to export income. "We have got the Olympics to showcase it in," he said. "It's a knowledge-based approach. It's doing things better by applying science better than anyone else."
Dane said the project took four years from conception to launch. "We have already received expressions of interest from countries including the U.S., Canada, India, Switzerland, Germany, China and Japan," he said.
Along with the sub-contracted construction of the catamaran hulls, the project as a whole could eventually employ more than 100 people to meet foreign orders, he said. Dane says it is possible to build an ocean liner using similar technology
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