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Experimental Yacht MS Porrima, Which Runs on Renewables, Damaged in Battery Fire

An experimental yacht on a sailing expedition to five continents, MS Porrima, has been damaged in a fire and subsequent flooding off the coast of India. Five members of the crew were rescued by helicopter, and no injuries have been reported.
MS Porrima is an experimental yachts running on renewables, currently on a global expedition 11 photos
Photo: MS Porrima
MS Porrima is an experimental yachts running on renewables, currently on a global expeditionMS Porrima is an experimental yachts running on renewables, currently on a global expeditionMS Porrima is an experimental yachts running on renewables, currently on a global expeditionMS Porrima is an experimental yachts running on renewables, currently on a global expeditionMS Porrima is an experimental yachts running on renewables, currently on a global expeditionMS Porrima is an experimental yachts running on renewables, currently on a global expeditionMS Porrima is an experimental yachts running on renewables, currently on a global expeditionMS Porrima is an experimental yachts running on renewables, currently on a global expeditionMS Porrima is an experimental yachts running on renewables, currently on a global expeditionMS Porrima is an experimental yachts running on renewables, currently on a global expedition
MS Porrima was launched in 2010 as SolarPlanet, which became the first solar-electric vessel to circumnavigate the globe in 2012. Financed by German entrepreneur Immo Ströher and with a design by naval architect Craig Loomes, it cost $15.2 million to build. The plan was to turn it into a luxury yacht after a series of records, but it ended up being upgraded to run with both wind and hydrogen power and renamed MS Porrima.

Entrepreneur Gunter Pauli (who is also the author of The Blue Economy) and the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia handled the upgrades on the 36-meter (118-foot) yacht. In late 2021, MS Porrima sailed out of Japan with a crew of seven and embarked on an expedition dubbed The Blue Odyssey, which would see it reach five continents and double as a research and awareness platform for sustainable technology and innovations. MS Porrima is scheduled to return to Japan in 2025, by which time it will continue to sail the seven seas completely fuel-free.

Whether that date will be impacted by the latest development is uncertain at this point: on August 12, after weeks of experiencing technical difficulties, MS Porrima was damaged in a fire that started out in its battery compartment. The Hindustan Times reports that the captain had reported the issues at the end of June while anchored off Mandwa, south of Mumbai, India. The yacht was en route to the Maldives from Dubai by way of Mumbai and was in a position in which it could not continue its journey without solving the technical issues first.

Because MS Porrima runs solely on renewables (solar, wind, and hydrogen), maintenance in Mumbai ports was declined. Earlier this month, technicians from Atlantic Global Shipping helped the crew on MS Porrima solve these issues, but two of its crewmembers had already left.

The yacht sailed away with the remaining five crew, and just 20 nautical miles (23 miles / 37 km) away, called in a fire. By the time the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) arrived, the yacht had drifted away from its position after several attempts to anchor it had failed. The strong winds and heavy rain made the approach impossible, so the ICG decided to rescue the five people onboard via helicopter. Video of the rescue is included in the tweet below, which also shows that, at least on the outside, there are no signs of fire damage.

The ICG and Captain Karuna Nidhan Pandey have confirmed that the fire started in the battery compartment and that the yacht was taking on water, too. The extent of the damage is not known at this time, but all five people onboard were taken to shore without injuries.

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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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