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Seven years ago, Bertrand Piccard (65) traveled around the world in a solar-powered plane. The journey took over a year and Piccard had to make 16 stops.
Now the Vaudois wants to know again. With his new project ‘Climate Impulse’ he wants to fly around the world non-stop again in 2028. This time with a hydrogen-powered aircraft. In nine days! In the Blick interview, Piccard explains what drives him.
Bertrand Piccard, you will have reached retirement age on March 1, 2023. Now you want to start another huge project. Where do you get your energy from?
Bertrand Piccard: Out of frustration at how poorly the world works, even though it could work much better. I see people who believe there is no future. The best way to combat this eco-depression is to show that action is possible. give back hope. This is something you should never shy away from.
What are the biggest problems?
A large part of the current problem is waste. We lose heat instead of gaining it back. We lose waste instead of reusing it. Combustion engines have a catastrophic efficiency, houses are poorly insulated, we heat with oil instead of heat pumps. We have a linear economy instead of a circular economy.
What solutions do you see?
We have to change the narrative. The solutions are there, so we need to talk about modernization. If you modernize our world, if you make it more efficient, then decarbonization is the logical consequence of this modernization.
Bertrand Piccard (65) is a psychiatrist and researcher and comes from the famous Piccard research dynasty. In 1999 he made the first non-stop circumnavigation of the world in a balloon. Later he flew around the world again – this time in a solar plane. The project was called “Solar Impulse”, after which the current Piccards Foundation is also named. Piccard is married and has three daughters.
Bertrand Piccard (65) is a psychiatrist and researcher and comes from the famous Piccard research dynasty. In 1999 he made the first non-stop circumnavigation of the world in a balloon. Later he flew around the world again – this time in a solar plane. The project was called “Solar Impulse”, after which the current Piccards Foundation is also named. Piccard is married and has three daughters.
Why doesn’t this work?
Because there is a big divide between the industry that believes that environmental protection is too expensive and must be fought. And environmental protection, which has a message but is not attractive enough.
This is where you want to start your new project. When you traveled the world seven years ago, you relied on solar energy. Now on hydrogen. Why?
I never put everything on solar energy. I have always wanted to promote all clean technologies and energy efficiency. Today it’s about hydrogen. And how do we want to produce hydrogen? With solar and wind energy.
There are two ways to use hydrogen as an energy source: directly as a fuel – similar to kerosene. Or via fuel cells.
If you burn hydrogen in a combustion engine, you have a better efficiency than with gasoline. But it also emits nitrogen oxides that are very harmful to the environment.
Will you choose a different path?
A very clean path. The hydrogen is guided through a so-called fuel cell. Water and therefore electricity are generated in membranes of hydrogen and oxygen. Electricity fed into an electric motor. Even if the efficiency isn’t perfect, it’s a way to store electricity for situations where batteries would be too heavy.
The aviation industry is interested in your project. Airbus, among others, is involved in the project. What progress will your project deliver?
My hydrogen plane won’t save the world. It must convey a message. And show that it is possible to break through stagnation and demonstrate a pioneering spirit. It’s a call to action.
What are the next steps until the launch in 2028?
We have completed a three-year design phase. Now we have to build the plane. For this we are working with sailor Raphaël Dinelli, a composite engineer who makes the molds for the fuselage, cockpit, etc. We hope to start flight testing in early 2026.
The two of you want to fly around the world non-stop in nine days in a small plane. You missed the adrenaline rush a bit, right?
Yes, it’s been seven years since I started Solar Impulse, and I’m excited to breathe new life into a meaningful project.
What dangers lurk?
I’m not afraid to fly in a clean plane. When you go on a nine-day adventure, you have confidence in your equipment. What really scares me, though, is that we live in a world that uses a million tons of oil per hour.
Nevertheless, challenges remained.
We will fly for nine days with our liquid fuel, which we must keep at -253 degrees Celsius. Technically, this is the biggest challenge. Something that has never been done before. And precisely because it has never been done before, we have to try it. Otherwise it will always be impossible.
Source:Blick
I am Liam Livingstone and I work in a news website. My main job is to write articles for the 24 Instant News. My specialty is covering politics and current affairs, which I’m passionate about. I have worked in this field for more than 5 years now and it’s been an amazing journey. With each passing day, my knowledge increases as well as my experience of the world we live in today.
