The DEM-AWE (Demonstrating Mobile Airborne Wind Energy) project has successfully come to an end, marking a significant step forward in the development and deployment of mobile AWE systems. As a natural successor to the MegaAWE project, DEM-AWE enabled critical testing and refinement of Kitepower’s first product, the K-BESS (Kite-Battery Energy Storage System), pushing the system closer to commercial readiness.

Testing in Ireland strengthens system performance

The project’s testing campaign was conducted at the RWE Airborne Wind Energy dedicated test site in Bangor Erris, County Mayo, Ireland, and proved to be a pivotal phase in validating the system under challenging conditions. The demanding environment on the West Coast of Ireland allowed the team to test system resilience, control algorithms, and operational procedures. These trials contributed directly to improving the robustness and reliability of the solution, which was designed for mobile, and off-grid deployment.

Battery integration and pilot deployment in the Netherlands

Earlier this year, Kitepower integrated an external battery system from Greener Power Solutions, a key technology partner. This implementation and initial testing were conducted in Bangor Erris as part of the system’s testing phase before deployment at Kitepower’s commercial site.

Following validation, the complete system was deployed during a pilot project in the Netherlands with construction company Dura Vermeer, where it was tested to power electric excavators and trucks, showcasing how Airborne Wind Energy can contribute directly to sustainable, large-scale construction operations such as a riverbank renovation.

The Consortium behind DEM-AWE

The DEM-AWE project (funded by Interreg North-West Europe) was made possible by a dedicated consortium of partners:

• Airborne Wind Europe – Project leader, responsible for policy coordination, sector engagement, and communications
  
• Laminak Energy – Commercialization support and project management
  
• Mayo County Council – Stakeholder engagement and permitting

Special thanks are extended to RWE for supporting the project and for enabling the critical testing campaign in Ireland with the integrated battery. 

Powering the future of EU Islands

As DEM-AWE concludes, Kitepower is turning its focus to new opportunities, particularly in supporting EU island communities in their efforts to decarbonize. Many of these regions rely on diesel imports and face high energy costs. The knowledge and experience gained through DEM-AWE will now be applied to demonstrate how Kitepower’s mobile AWE systems can offer reliable, clean, and locally generated energy for remote and isolated grids.

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Reliable, clean energy for remote locations

The Kitepower Hawk system generates 1 up to 4 MWh of clean energy per week, seamlessly integrating with battery storage for a continuous, zero-emissions power supply. Ideal for off-grid construction sites, military operations, and temporary installations, the Hawk offers a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional diesel generators, and logistically complex and cost-ineffective battery swaps.

A recent deployment for the Dutch Ministry of Defence on Aruba demonstrated the Hawk system’s ability to deliver reliable green energy in remote locations. Now, through Skoon’s platform, companies can rent the Hawk system, ensuring a sustainable and efficient energy source for their operations.

Why rent the Hawk system?

• Quick, flexible deployment: The Hawk’s compact design, housed in a 20ft shipping container, makes it easy to transport and install at remote sites.
• Zero emissions on site: The Hawk provides clean, renewable energy, supporting sustainability goals and compliance with environmental regulations.
• Cost-effective: Renting the Hawk system removes the need for expensive diesel generators and lowers overall operational costs.

A sustainable energy solution for the future

By making the Kitepower Hawk available through Skoon, Kitepower offers businesses a scalable solution for powering off-grid operations sustainably. This partnership highlights the increasing demand for clean, mobile energy systems that reduce carbon footprints and help meet environmental commitments.

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Bridging the Gap in Renewable Energy Generation

As the world moves towards a carbon-free future, demand for renewable energy is surging. However, traditional sources like solar and conventional wind turbines are limited by factors such as low-wind areas, insufficient sunlight, limited land availability, underdeveloped infrastructure, and complex installation in floating offshore environments. Kitepower’s airborne wind energy systems provide an ideal solution to these challenges, offering a flexible and cost-effective alternative in key sectors:

• Construction: With many projects stalled due to emission restrictions, such as the €1.2 billion in planned developments in the Netherlands, Kitepower can help construction companies decarbonize their operations and provide on-site energy access.
  
• Filling the gap of traditional wind: Kitepower can unlock 80 GW of untapped wind potential in Germany alone, providing a viable solution to help Germany meet its target of 8 GW of annual wind power capacity in regions where traditional wind is not feasible.
  
• Energy Companies: For offshore wind farms, particularly in floating offshore locations, Kitepower offers a cost-effective way to harness green energy in difficult-to-reach environments on floating platforms.

Kitepower’s rental-first model provides European construction companies with a low-risk entry point to electrify their machinery fleets with sustainable on-site energy. Customers can test the benefits of airborne wind energy — emission-free power generation — at competitive rates, without committing to long-term investments. The first customer will gain a first-mover advantage, including priority service and delivery of future Kitepower systems.

“Our customers need flexible, low-cost options to explore new technologies,” said Johannes Peschel, CEO of Kitepower. “Our rental-first model offers a win-win: businesses can experience Kitepower and get access to clean energy with minimal upfront investment, while we gather valuable feedback to improve future Kitepower systems.”

A phased approach to clean energy access – the future is now

Starting in mid-2025, Kitepower’s system will deliver an initial energy yield of 1 MWh per week, with projections to rise to 4 MWh per week as kite and flight efficiency improve. This solution is designed for areas without access to the grid and will help shape the development of Kitepower’s Falcon system, which is expected to offer a 5-7 year ROI.

Looking to the future

Kitepower’s rental-first model addresses the growing demand for flexible, affordable clean energy, enabling businesses to adopt sustainable practices while advancing airborne wind energy innovation. This strategy also accelerates the global energy transition by unlocking untapped wind potential and providing an affordable renewable solution for a wider range of locations.

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Expanding Renewable Energy

The DEM-AWE project will use airborne wind energy (AWE) to power a mobile battery storage system. This innovative approach has the potential to provide renewable energy to places that are hard to reach, like islands and rural areas, as well as to industries like construction and agriculture.

Partnership and Support

The DEM-AWE project is supported by the Interreg North-West Europe programme and includes a group of partners:

• Kitepower (Netherlands): The developer of the K-BESS technology.
• Airborne Wind Europe: An organization promoting airborne wind energy.
• BlueWise Marine (Ireland): Providing local expertise and support.
• Laminak Energy (France): Offering market analysis and consultancy.
• Mayo County Council (Ireland): Engaging with the local community.

How It Works

Over the next 12 months, Kitepower will lead the demonstration of the K-BESS system and continue its development of the Hawk. This pre-commercial demonstrator can charge a 400kWh battery in 10 hours, providing a reliable source of renewable energy. The trial will collect important data and feedback to help improve the technology.

Planning for the Future

BlueWise Marine and Laminak Energy will use the results from the demonstration to create a plan for introducing K-BESS and other airborne wind energy systems to the market in northwestern Europe. This will include using GIS models to identify the best locations for these technologies.

Airborne Wind Europe will share the demonstration results and work to include K-BESS in regional energy plans. Mayo County Council will help engage the local community, ensuring they understand and support this new technology.

The DEM-AWE project is a major step towards meeting Europe’s energy goals. By bringing renewable energy to more places and reducing dependence on fossil fuels, Kitepower and its partners are helping to build a cleaner, more sustainable future.

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Kitepower was selected for the prestigious NATO DIANA Accelerator program from over 1600 applications. Through the program, the company has been able to further validate its revolutionary Kite-powered Battery Energy Storage Systems (Kite BESS) Hawk and Falcon for dual use applications. Kitepower has been working with the Dutch Ministry of Defense in the Netherlands since 2018 in various research & development projects. The NATO DIANA program has allowed Kitepower to significantly strengthen its mission readiness levels enabling the use of the Kite BESS to replace diesel gensets and reduce reliance on vulnerable supply chains of fossil fuels.

Highlights:

• Innovative Dual-Use Technology: The Kite BESS Hawk integrates airborne wind energy with battery storage, providing a mobile, renewable energy solution that is both cost-effective and environmentally friendly.
• Operational Robustness: Program participation has enhanced kite design, modeling, and control, ensuring the operational robustness of the Kite BESS Hawk in remote and challenging environments.
• Scalability and Future Plans: Post-demonstration, Kitepower plans to scale up the solution to 1 MWh storage and 100 kW power, solidifying its leadership in mobile renewable energy.

Johannes Peschel, CEO and co-founder of Kitepower, expressed his enthusiasm: “We are extremely proud to be part of the inaugural group of the NATO DIANA Accelerator Programme. This opportunity has significantly advanced our mission to revolutionise off-grid energy with our mobile renewable energy solution. The support from NATO and the expertise we’ve gained have been invaluable in demonstrating the capabilities of our Kite BESS Hawk.”

Kite BESS Hawk: a game-changer for off-grid energy

The Kite BESS Hawk is set to disrupt the off-grid energy sector by offering a clean, mobile, and cost-effective alternative to traditional diesel generators. This innovative system integrates a battery energy storage system (BESS) with a kite for in-situ charging, eliminating dependence on fossil fuels. It presents exciting possibilities for deploying renewable energy in remote locations where temporary power or mobile energy storage is essential.

Addressing energy challenges in remote areas

Remote areas often rely on diesel generators for power, which leads to high costs, operational challenges, and significant CO2 emissions. While BESS offers an alternative, they typically require frequent recharging using fossil fuels. Kitepower’s kite system, seamlessly connected to a BESS, provides a sustainable and efficient solution.

Revolutionizing wind energy with airborne technology

Kitepower’s Airborne Wind Energy (AWE) technology represents a paradigm shift, with an 80% reduction in material usage compared to traditional wind energy systems. The technology’s scalability to at least 10 MW and potential for fully automated rigid-winged drones as kites highlight the future possibilities in renewable energy. Aligned with its go-to-market strategy, Kitepower has successfully tested a 60m2 prototype in Aruba, validating the system’s efficiency and scalability.

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With the recently obtained BVLOS permit from the ILT, Kitepower’s innovative kites, the Hawk and the Falcon, can now operate without a person ‘on-site’, utilizing remote monitoring instead. This substantially decreases the cost of operation and increases the operational range of the kites, enabling Kitepower to generate wind energy in previously inaccessible areas, including offshore wind farms. The ILT permit also allows Kitepower to conduct BVLOS flights in segregated and atypical airspace, creating new opportunities for deploying the kites in locations with specific regulations or restrictions. This permit represents a significant advancement in the commercialisation process for Kitepower, opening the door to larger-scale deployment of their technology products, further enhancing the efficiency of energy generation.

Milestone

“This permit is a crucial milestone for Kitepower,” says CEO Johannes Peschel. “It enables us to further develop and demonstrate our technology to potential customers. This permit not only enhances the commercial attractiveness of our technology but also opens the door to new applications and market segments. We are confident that BVLOS flights will play a crucial role in our operations and the future of wind energy in general.“

ILT granted Kitepower the permit after an extensive safety assessment of the technology. Throughout this process, Kitepower conducted comprehensive tests to demonstrate the safety and reliability of the kites. To date Kitepower had been flying under a ‘Visual Line of Sight’ permit which required a trained operator on site. Under the most recent European drone legislation, the ILT permit can be used as the basis for a cross-border application in order to fly in any other European country. The EU legislation and recent permit will help enable rapid deployments of Kitepower systems in places where portable power is needed. Construction sites, agriculture and island communities, currently relying on diesel generators, can now benefit from renewable power generation and storage on site.

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