On November 12, the world’s largest 5,000 m2 energy-capture canopy, a core component of China’s first national key R&D program for airborne wind energy led by CPECC of CEEC, was successfully deployed at the Alxa Left Banner test site in Inner Mongolia. All scheduled tests, including the in-flight retraction, were completed, marking a major step forward in the engineering application of airborne wind energy technology in China.
Airborne wind energy technology, a renewable energy technology, utilizes tethered aerial modules to harvest wind at altitudes above 300 m and convert it into electricity. As an untapped “blue-sky” frontier, airborne winds are stronger, steadier, and more energy-dense than those near the ground, offering enormous potential. China now holds a full portfolio of proprietary intellectual property across the entire airborne wind energy chain, ensuring complete domestic control of both technology and equipment.
The “canopy-ladder” ground-based airborne wind energy system (AWES), which links multiple canopies in series, offers clear advantages for scaling and commercialization, and is fast becoming a mainstream research route with strong industrial prospects. The tested system consists of three parts: aerial modules, tether cables, and ground modules. In operation, the deployed canopies harvest wind and generate upward pull on the ladder, which drives the ground-based generator to produce electricity.
