Could high altitude wind be the answer to consistent energy?

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At 400m up, wind never stops and almost nobody is using it. We break down high-altitude wind power: tethered kites flying figure-eights to spin ground generators, using far less material than steel towers. Europe vs. China, remote sites to offshore, and what needs to happen by 2028.

Four hundred metres above us, the wind never stops, and almost nobody is using it. 🪁

In this video, we look at high-altitude wind power: tethered kites and flying turbines that reach the stronger, steadier winds that ordinary turbines can’t. We explain how a kite flying fast figure-eights pulls a tether to spin a generator on the ground, and why it needs far less material than a steel tower. We also compare Europe’s soft-kite systems (Kitepower, SkySails) with China’s tethered ducted fans.

With insights from Roland Schmehl (TU Delft) and Sweder Reuchlin (Kitepower), we cover the first real market for the technology, which is replacing diesel generators on remote sites, islands and emissions-free construction projects. We also look at the long-term goal of going offshore, why hybrid systems matter, and what still needs to happen before Kitepower’s planned commercial launch in 2028.

25 days ago

Energy

Could high altitude wind be the answer to consistent energy?

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