China Launches Megawatt-Class Floating Wind Turbine to Capture High-Altitude Winds

China has successfully tested the S1500, the world's largest airborne wind turbine designed to generate one megawatt of power by harnessing high-altitude winds that are stronger and more consistent than those at ground level. Developed by Beijing SAWES Energy Technology in partnership with Tsinghua University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the S1500 recently completed a series of test flights in Xinjiang.

The S1500 is an aerostat—a helium-filled airship with a ring wing forming a giant duct—to channel strong jet stream winds through 12 embedded carbon-fiber microgenerators, each rated at 100 kW. The unit, measuring 60 meters long, 40 meters wide, and 40 meters tall, transmits electric power to the ground via tether cables, eliminating the need for traditional tall towers. It weighs less than a ton yet delivers output equivalent to a large onshore turbine, significantly reducing material use and production costs.

The turbine operates at altitudes up to 1,500 meters, where wind speeds are roughly three times stronger than at the surface, producing theoretically 27 times more energy than a ground-based counterpart. It is expected to operate for over 25 years, aided by advanced sensors and radar systems for stability and safety. The design enables fast relocation, making it ideal for remote deserts, islands, oilfields, and disaster-hit areas.

The S1500 follows smaller scaled prototypes such as the S500 and S1000, which generated 50 kW to 100 kW at lower altitudes in previous successful tests. The airborne turbine reduces costs per kilowatt-hour by 30% compared to conventional turbines, avoids extensive civil works, and minimizes environmental impacts—such as habitat disruption and noise pollution—associated with traditional wind farms.

SAWES has started batch production with contracts exceeding $70 million and aims to deliver units for grid-connected commercial use by 2026. This breakthrough can transform renewable energy generation by capturing the vast, untapped potential of high-altitude winds, offering a mobile, cost-effective source of clean power.

The technology builds on 70 years of airborne wind energy research and could rival traditional ground and offshore wind turbines, marking a new phase in sustainable energy innovation.

Sources:

• China.org.cn: World's largest airborne wind turbine completes test flightchina

• Notebookcheck.net: Airborne wind turbine with 1-megawatt output set for testingnotebookcheck

• FastCompany.com: This flying wind turbine can pull power from high in the skyfastcompany

• I'MNOVATION Hub: Airborne wind turbines could transform green energyimnovation-hub

• South China Morning Post, SCMP: Airship-like floating turbine for remote powerscmp

• E-Greenify: Chinese test world’s first flying wind turbinee-greenify

This article synthesizes recent technical and testing updates on the S1500 airborne wind turbine, highlighting its significance in renewable energy progress.