Summary
In 2021, Kitepower deployed its Airborne Wind Energy System (AWES) in Aruba as part of the Dutch Ministry of Defence military exercise “Caribbean Engineer 2021”. This marked a major milestone for both Kitepower and the airborne wind energy sector: it was Kitepower’s first operation outside Europe and the first airborne wind energy system ever operated in the Caribbean. The system was installed in the Dutch Defence training area near Vader Piet to test its performance in an operational environment and support the Ministry’s ambition to reduce fossil fuel dependency in remote deployments.
The overseas deployment demonstrated one of Kitepower’s key advantages: logistical efficiency. The system was shipped from Eemshaven and transported on Aruba using only two standard trucks, proving its suitability for remote and infrastructure-constrained locations. Unlike conventional wind turbines, which require heavy and oversized transport, Kitepower’s system can be rapidly deployed via standard roads, making it particularly well-suited for islands and isolated regions.
The project built on a long-standing collaboration between Kitepower and the Dutch Ministry of Defence, which began in 2016 through the “Energy for Military Operations” innovation program and later continued under the National Technology Project. Located next to the Vader Piet Wind Farm, developed by Kitepower mentor and investor Henk Hutting (1952–2021), the deployment highlighted the strong potential of airborne wind energy for islands. Where high winds and costly fuel imports make clean, hybrid energy solutions especially valuable for both military and civil applications.
Andrei Luca
Head of Operations
