Kitepower's Journey to the Islands and Beyond

Abstract

Kitepower has developed a unique airborne wind energy system since 2016: structurally reinforced leading-edge inflatable kites with a semi-autonomous launch and landing system and a containerized winch which is designed to produce 100kW nominal power. A simple, low-cost system that can easily be deployed at customer sites. We know that timing and cost of electricity are major concerns for our stakeholders, including potential customers. We have identified that one of the main cost drivers of the system is an autonomous launch and landing system, both in terms of development cost and CAPEX. Permitting uncertainties, safety, environmental impact as well as performance guarantees are key challenges for customer engagement. We have developed our containerized Kitepower system which addresses these issues. Swiftly trained operators set up within hours and guarantee safe operation. The unique depower system for the kite ensures efficient energy conversion with a small footprint. Our safety system lands the kite in a parachute mode in all unforeseen conditions. The kite can be relaunched within hours. The integrated rechargeable battery offers a standalone solution that can be deployed in places with no electrical infrastructure. In October 2021, the system was successfully deployed and operated on the Caribbean Island of Aruba as part of a training mission which was funded by the Dutch Ministry of Defense. We are currently accelerating the relaunching process and reduce the number of landings by lowering the minimum flyable wind speed to zero by investing energy and the maximum wind speed beyond 20m/s. This will make most of the landings obsolete as shown in the figure below. We are ready to increase our flight time, power output and to do more pilot projects.

Publication
9th international Airborne Wind Energy Conference (AWEC 2021): Book of Abstracts
Johannes Peschel
Johannes Peschel
CEO and Founder

Developing kite power systems to accelerate the energy transition.