Solar Impulse, the solar-powered flight has completed round-the-world flight and landed at its starting point in Abu Dhabi.

It completed its final leg of the journey of 48 hours and 37 minutes from Cairo.

According to ABB, one of the partners of the project, the attempt for the round-the-world flight could not have been possible if certain challenges were not met on ground.

The challenges included maximising power yield from solar cells, integrating renewable energy into the electricity distribution systems and improving energy efficiency.

ABB says that it forged an alliance with Solar Impulse to provide innovation and technology. It claims that what the Solar Impulse is doing in air, ABB has already done it on the ground with this pioneering technology.

During the flight around the world, Solar Impulse made stopovers on four continents including Asia, North America, Europe and Africa and few across two oceans including the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans. Apart from these, it also crossed the Mediterranean Sea and the Arabian Peninsula.

ABB claims that during the flight, Solar Impulse had set several aviation records including the longest solo duration for an airplane (117 hours, 52 minutes) achieved by André Borschberg on the leg from Japan to Hawaii and crossing the Atlantic Ocean on a solar airplane by Bertrand Piccard.

ABB CEO, Ulrich Spiesshofer said: “This is a truly historic achievement, with tremendous symbolic significance.

“It demonstrates clearly that with pioneering spirit and clean technologies, we can run the world without consuming the earth.

“On behalf of everyone at ABB, congratulations to Bertrand Piccard, André Borschberg, and the rest of the Solar Impulse team. We are extremely proud to have been able to contribute to this remarkable project.”

Solar Impulse pilot, initiator and chairman Bertrand Piccard on arrival said: "It's a historic first for renewable energy and clean technologies, not only for aviation.

"By combining their respective strengths, Solar Impulse and ABB were able to show how breakthrough innovation can be transformed into credible solutions, and how energy can be more efficiently produced, stored and used to create a cleaner world."

Image: Solar Impulse flight arriving at Abu Dhabi. Photo: Courtesy of Solar Impulse / rezo.ch.