VATIS UPDATE Article

Kite Power Systems, the United Kingdom, have developed a smart technology for obtaining power from the wind with the aid of custom-built giant kites that fly in pairs, hundreds of feet up in the sky, with their movements powering a generator on the ground. “The KPS system has two hybrid kites that are flown as high as 1,500 feet,” said David Ainsworth, at Kite Power Systems. The big advantage over traditional wind turbines is the lower cost in terms of the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCoE).

According to Ainsworth, Kite Power Systems’ technology can reduce the capex of conventional offshore turbines by as much as 50 percent, due to the fact that the system doesn’t require large quantities of steel or specialist installation vessels. Thus far, the technology has been successfully trialed and tested in the United Kingdom. A 40kW system is currently being tested at an airfield in Scotland, while a larger 500kW system is also in the works.

The company aims to achieve commercialization within the next 3-5 years. “Before we consider venturing into overseas markets, we first intend to develop a kite farm in Scotland – but rest assured we have our eye on the U.S. market and indeed other countries around the world. Given that our system can be deployed in onshore and offshore locations, we see fantastic opportunities in the U.S. for kite power,” said Ainsworth.