World’s first megawatt-level ‘windmill’ airship rises 6,560 ft and feeds grid

Research 1.1K points 198 comments Yesterday

The helium-lifted S2000 system uses high-altitude winds and a ducted **design** with 12 turbines to reach a rated capacity of up to 3 megawatts. Linyi Yunchuan Energy Tech,Beijing has taken a **major** step toward commercial airborne wind power after completing the maiden flight and grid-connected power generation test. During the maiden flight the system generated 385 kWh and fed it **directly** into the local grid proving real world operation not a lab demo. The system **sends power** to the ground through a tether while operating in steadier high altitude winds that traditional wind turbines cannot access. Full Article **Image(Official):** world’s first MW-class S2000 airborne wind system for urban use completed a successful test flight in Yibin, Sichuan.

More from r/singularity