The world’s largest solar-powered boat has completed an Atlantic crossing before heading to Mexico for the UN climate change conference.

On Saturday world leaders agreed to cut greenhouse emissions after they were joined in Cancún by the 31-metre Türanor.

Türanor left Monaco in September, aiming to become the first solar-powered boat to complete a circumnavigation via the Panama and Suez canals.

Its 64-year-old German owner, Immo Stroeher, said: ‘The theme of this ship and its around-the-world voyage is to create consciousness about what you can do with solar energy.’

The £16m catamaran stores energy in its batteries during the day and can run on the stored energy without sunlight for around three days at 7.5 knots, the speed of an average oil tanker.

At slower speeds it could run for up to 15 days, although its maximum cruising speed is between eight and nine knots.

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