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Brussels, March 9, 2015 --- Solvay is proud to stand side-by-side with Solar Impulse 2 (Si2) and its two pilots now that the solar airplane has taken off from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to start its tour around the world without using a single fuel drop.
“The Solar Impulse adventure represents innovation without boundaries and Solvay’s ability to demonstrate its power in finding solutions to develop and promote low carbon technologies,” said Jean-Pierre Clamadieu, Chairman of the Executive Committee and CEO of Solvay. “We wish both pilots Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg a safe flight and great success in their round-the-world tour.”
Travelling at speeds between 50 and 100 kilometres per hour, Si2 will fly 25 days spread over five months, equipped with 15 Solvay products found in more than 6,000 components, including its high-performance plastics, fibers, films, lubricants and coatings.
Si2 is scheduled to stop in 12 locations, including layovers in India, China, the United States and Europe or Northern Africa, before returning to Abu Dhabi. André Borschberg is piloting the first 400 km leg of the 12 hour journey from Abu Dhabi to Muscat, Oman. Among the journey’s main challenges is the non-stop flight of five days and nights from China to Hawaï.
Right from the beginning and for 12 years now, Solvay has been part of this pioneering project, turning challenges into significant market opportunities in lightweighting, energy storage and efficiency. With this “Flying Lab” Solvay has proven its expertise in advanced materials and sustainable energy, which enables Solar Impulse to fly around the clock only on the sun’s energy.
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As an international chemical group, SOLVAY assists industries in finding and implementing ever more responsible and value-creating solutions. Solvay generates 90% of its net sales in activities where it is among the world's top three players. It serves many markets, varying from energy and the environment to automotive and aeronautics or electricity and electronics, with one goal: to raise the performance of its clients and improve society's quality of life. The group is headquartered in Brussels, employs about 26,000 people in 52 countries and generated 10.2 billion euros in net sales in 2014. Solvay SA (SOLB.BE) is listed on EURONEXT Brussels and EURONEXT Paris (Bloomberg: SOLB:BB - Reuters: SOLB.BR).
