Air-Borne Wind Turbine

Air-Borne Wind Turbine

Airborne wind turbine systems can either fly freely in the air or be connected by a rope to the ground, such as kites or tethered balloons. It's worth noting that all airborne wind energy systems with significant power output are mechanically connected to the ground to take advantage of the relative velocity between the air mass and the ground. In this Airborne technology, the entire architecture of a standard wind turbine is replaced by an Energy Kite that traces the course of a turbine's tip, reducing the weight by 90%.

Several factors such as the growing demand for renewable energy, advancements in technology, declining costs, expanding applications, government support and incentives, increasing awareness about the benefits of AWTs, and rising competition have contributed to the growth of AWTs. As people become more aware of climate change and the need for sustainable energy sources, the demand for renewable energy technologies like AWTs has increased. Furthermore, improvements in AWT design, materials, and manufacturing processes have made them more efficient, reliable, and cost-effective, making them a compelling option for renewable energy generation.

For instance, In 2021, RWE Renewables GmbH and SkySails Power GmbH came into collaboration for pilot projects in Mauritius. They planned to fly a 120-sqm kite to a height of up to 400 meters above ground to utilize high-altitude winds for generating electricity.

• Based on the type, the airborne wind turbine market is bifurcated into onshore and offshore. The offshore segment caters to significant demand in 2022. Offshore airborne wind turbines are cost-effective and more feasible in deeper offshore locations than their traditional counterparts which will further escalate their share in the airborne wind turbine industry.
• Based on application, the airborne wind turbine market is categorized into generating wind power, transportation, pumping water, and others. The transportation segment holds a major share of this market. This is mainly owing to the growing demand for renewable energy in marine transport which further propels the opportunities for airborne wind turbine adoption in the transportation sector.
• For a better understanding of the market adoption of the airborne wind turbine industry, the market is analyzed based on its worldwide presence in countries such as North America (U.S., Canada, and the Rest of North America), Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Norway, Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, Australia, Rest of Asia-Pacific), Rest of World. Europe is expected to experience the highest share in the airborne wind turbine market. The primary factor driving this growth is the increase in the onshore wind capacity to meet the net zero vision. In addition, the ability of airborne wind energy to be cost-competitive with other generation sources at a commercial scale by 2030 as AWE has lower logistics requirements than established wind technology, which allows it to be installed in places that established wind cannot reach is further accelerating the market size of airborne wind turbine in Europe.
• Some of the major players operating in the market include Makani, Kitemill, Acciona, Kitegen, SkySails Power, United Power, GE Power, Envision Energy, Vestas Wind System A/S, and DeWind Co.