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A Berlin-based solar company has this week launched a new passenger ship that is driven solely by solar energy.

Named the "SOLON", the ship has 24 solar modules with a capacity of 5.6 kWp that are fitted to the ship's roof and supply its drive energy. The vessel has been jointly developed by SOLON SE and SolarWaterWorld AG.

SolarWaterWorld AG, the manufacturer and operator of the "SOLON", also operates the world's first solar charging station for solar-powered boats in the Köpenick district of Berlin. The company has more than seventeen years' experience in the research and development of solar shipping.

"We are pleased that in SOLON SE we have a strong partner that is involved in the wide-ranging expansion of climate-friendly solar mobility," said Thomas Meyer, CEO of SolarWaterWorld AG and an expert in flow-optimized solar-propulsion catamarans.

"The future belongs to solar mobility, whether on roads, rails or water and SOLON is one of the main drivers of this development," added Thomas Krupke, CEO of SOLON SE, at the launch.

The C60 solar catamaran can accommodate up to 60 passengers and will sail on Berlin's waterways providing tours of the city and cruise trips.

The ship offers a tangible sign that emission-free mobility is advancing also for inland shipping. A prototype of this craft also completed its first Atlantic crossing to New York in 2006/2007.

SolarWaterWorld now sells production-built C60 catamarans worldwide. The company also offers a smaller solution in the form of the SunCat23, which can be sailed without a license in Germany and is therefore also suitable for use by boat hire companies.

SolarWaterWorld AG was set up in March 2001 in Hameln, Germany. The company has its origins in the Institute for Solar Shipbuilding (Institut für Solarschiffbau) and aims to combine the environmentally friendly use of solar energy sources with shipbuilding and to market solar-driven water vehicles around the world.

SOLON SE is one of the largest solar module manufacturers in Europe and a supplier of solar power plants. The SOLON group is represented by subsidiaries in Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland and the USA and employs around 900 people globally. SOLON's core business is the production of solar modules and photovoltaic systems, and the construction of turnkey solar power plants around the world.