26
July
2016
|
00:00
Europe/Amsterdam

First around-the-world flight with solar energy

Summary
Ultra-lightweight materials from Covestro supported pioneering work
The two Swiss pioneers Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg have completed the first around-the-world flight in their exclusively solar-powered aircraft. Early this morning they returned safely to Abu Dhabi, the starting point of their journey. An official partner of the Solar Impulse project, Covestro shares the pilots’ delight about their successful premiere.

“On behalf of all employees of Covestro, I sincerely congratulate you on this courageous work,” said Covestro CEO Patrick Thomas. “We are very proud of having contributed to the success of this project and of pushing boundaries with the materials we developed.”

Mid-day last Sunday, the aircraft took off from Cairo for the last leg of its circumnavigation of the globe. It flew more than 40,000 kilometers without using a drop of fuel, breaking numerous world records. Covestro was on board with ultra-lightweight materials. The company was responsible, in particular, for the design of the cockpit.

About Covestro:
With 2015 sales of EUR 12.1 billion, Covestro is among the world’s largest polymer companies. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, electrical and electronics, construction and the sports and leisure industries. Covestro, formerly Bayer MaterialScience, has 30 production sites around the globe and as of the end of 2015 employed approximately 15,800 people (full-time equivalents).

This press release is available for download from the Covestro press server at www.covestro.com. A photo is available there for download as well. Please acknowledge the source.

Find more information at www.covestro.com and www.solarimpulse.com.
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CovestroGroup


Forward-Looking Statements
This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Covestro AG. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Covestro’s public reports, which are available on the Covestro website at www.covestro.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.