( CNN ) -- Where better to start a record-breaking solar powered flight than the desert ? The UAE may be one of the most oil dependent states in the world , but next March it will be the start and finish location for Solar Impulse 2 , a solar-powered plane that aims to circumnavigate the world using only the power of the sun . The Solar Impulse made headlines last year when , piloted by co-founders Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg , it took a solar-powered trip across the United States . A single-seater plane fitted with 12,000 solar cells and four electrically-powered propellers , it was also the first aircraft powered by renewable energy that could fly non-stop for 24 hours . The next version , the Solar Impulse 2 , will have 17,000 solar cells built into the wings that have a span longer than a Boeing 747 . The plane is expected to make the round-the-world trip in around four to five months , with some legs lasting as long as 120 hours non-stop . The first and last stop will be Abu Dhabi . `` This well-matched partnership will show Abu Dhabi to be a center of expertise when it comes to renewable energy , '' said Piccard in an official statement . `` At the same time , Solar Impulse will demonstrate the far-reaching applications of clean energy during the first solar-powered flight around the world . '' Masdar , Abu Dhabi 's renewable energy company , is also a partner in the project , and will help the Solar Impulse team train and test the aircraft before it takes to the skies . `` Abu Dhabi , Masdar and Solar Impulse have in common a pioneering spirit , a long-term vision and a desire to explore new horizons , '' said Dr. Sultan Ahmad Al Jaber , Masdar 's chairman , and the UAE minister of state , also in an official statement , adding : . `` We share a commitment to foster the development of technological advances in alternative energy sources in order to contribute to a cleaner , more sustainable future . ''
Solar Impulse 2 plans to make a record-breaking solar flight around the world . Abu Dhabi is the host city for the trip . The plane will fly around the world in four to five months . It will fly as long as 120 hours non-stop .