Why Airborne Wind Energy Can Be a Smart Investment for Net-Zero

Energy access and climate action go hand in hand. They provide more people with clean renewable power while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, helping curb climate change and distributing development opportunities more evenly. International energy experts foresee that current renewable energy technologies will only be able to deliver emissions reduction until the end of this decade. Beyond 2030, and to achieve net-zero, we must develop and massively scale up a broad variety of renewable energy technologies. Many innovations face the challenge of crossing the infamous ‘valley of death’ between research and commercialisation. Airborne wind energy is one of them. This relatively unknown clean energy solution warrants attention because of its exceptional versatility. It facilitates integration between different types of renewables, while embracing circular economy principles and promoting an inclusive energy transition. Moreover, the investment needed to mature the airborne wind energy industry is on par with a single 1.2 GW offshore wind park.

What is airborne wind energy?

Airborne wind energy systems use kites, drones and gliders to harvest energy from powerful steady winds at 200-500m altitudes, which are inaccessible to wind turbines. For reference, Kitepower’s Falcon device, with an annual capacity of 450 MWh, produces enough power for 150 households. These flying energy generators can operate offshore and off-grid, complementing wind, solar and other renewables by conveniently filling gaps in their electricity production profiles.

Airborne wind energy does more with less

Compared to wind turbines, airborne wind energy devices use up to 90% less steel, carbon fibre, concrete, rare earth metals and other materials. This addresses some of the major social and environmental concerns associated with the high raw material demands of other large-scale renewable deployments. Additionally, the low material use of airborne wind energy devices helps to simplify and de-risk supply chains, enables smaller production facilities and eliminates the need for large installation vessels or extensive industrial port expansions, which pose substantial challenges for offshore wind expansion. As airborne wind energy technology matures, the advantages of reduced material use will also translate into lower upfront project investment – only 15% of the total lifetime cost of the project, compared to a 40% upfront investment for established wind technology. Consequently, integrating airborne wind into the energy mix promises a significant reduction in renewable energy production costs overall, including green hydrogen. Researchers from Politecnico di Milano have been working on a model for an offshore hydrogen plant that is powered by airborne wind. This will potentially lower the cost of hydrogen production from €5 to €2 per kilogram by 2040. Another application at sea is for vessels. International shipping accounts for as much energy-related CO2 emissions as aviation, heavily relying on diesel. But while we tend to think of hydrogen and ammonia when it comes to sustainable marine fuel, airborne wind can also provide energy for ships and keep our emissions reduction efforts going while we are developing these next-generation green fuels. In fact, a French start-up, Airseas, has been testing its Seawing energy kite with a cargo ship in the Atlantic Ocean and reports that its kite successfully towed the ship.

Learn more: The European Sting