A pioneering team of Swiss engineers will tomorrow unveil a new solar-powered plane that they hope to fly around the world non-stop for the first time ever.

 

The Solar Impulse team, led by Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg, last year flew across the United States in their solar-powered plane, completing the trip over the course of one month at a cost of around £73m.

 

Just one year on, Piccard and Borschberg now have a new mission to circumnavigate the globe in 2015 in an improved solar-powered aircraft. The new design's key innovation is the ability to store energy during sunlight hours and fly at night, meaning it could conceivably complete the trip without stopping.

 

Yesterday, the team confirmed they had partnered with engineering giant ABB as it continues to work on the aircraft and prepare for the challenge.

 

"It was my dream to have ABB as technology partner of Solar Impulse," said Piccard, founder and chairman of Solar Impulse who has already flown around the world non-stop in a balloon. "We have the same goal of improving the world by using energy more efficiently and conserving natural resources."

 

The primary aim of the Solar Impulse project is to raise the profile of solar technologies and demonstrate the technical feasibility of solar-power flight. It is hoped that the involvement of large multinational corporates such as ABB will further boost the profile of the project and increase the chances that some of the technical innovations pioneered by Solar Impulse can be commercialized.