Take notes Eskom ... China unveils world’s first flying wind turbine
China has launched the world’s first flying wind turbine, the S2000 airborne wind energy system, which harnesses high-altitude winds to generate 3 megawatts of electricity, offering a revolutionary solution for off-grid power and complementing traditional wind systems. Picture: Google Gemini
Image: Google Gemini
It may sound like something out of a sci-fi movie, but China has just launched the world’s first floating power station.
The lightweight wind turbine— called the S2000 airborne wind energy system (AWES)— is a marvel of technological engineering as it is launched via helium and tethered to a power station on the ground from which the generated electricity is relayed. It comes in at 131 metres wide and 60 metres long.
The turbine is used at a height of 2000 metres above the ground, at more than 10 times the height of traditional wind turbines which resemble windmills. The high winds then cause the turbine to generate electricity.
At such a high altitude, the new turbine is able to harness much higher wind speeds (up to four times faster) and in turn generate far more electricity than it would closer to the ground.
AWES Generates 3 Megawatts: Powering Households and Revolutionising Energy with Natural Resources
In fact, the AWES is able to generate 3 megawatts, which is enough to power a household in the USA for 13 days according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
This is a landmark moment for electricity generation through natural resources.
"One is for off-grid settings like border outposts, where it can serve as a relatively stable conventional energy source,” said Weng Hanke, CTO at Linyi Yunchuan Energy Technology, as reported by Tide News—an affiliate of the state-owned Zhejiang Daily Press Group—via Global Times.
"The other is to complement traditional ground-based wind power systems, creating a three-dimensional approach to energy supply."