As a joint project partnership SkySails Power, EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg, EWE Offshore Service & Solutions and Leibniz University Hannover are developing and testing a fully automated airborne wind energy system. The objective of the research project "SkyPower100", which is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), is to develop and test a fully automated airborne wind energy system with a nominal output of 100 kilowatts by 2020.The system is intended to work autonomously and start, land and stow the kite by itself. It shall prove these skills for several months. During this pilot operation, the consortium intends to gain insights into the scaling of high-altitude wind power technology into the megawatt class on shore. On top of that, it wants to further improve the efficiency and reliability of the technology for future offshore use.
SkySails Power coordinates the project and contributes the know-how and operational experience in the field of automated kite systems. It is responsible for the development, production, installation and testing of the pilot system. EWE Offshore Service & Solution is responsible for the site search, project planning, approval, development, foundation as well as for the grid connection of the demonstrator. EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg is investigating the potential for high-altitude wind in the target markets and the respective approval situation in the project. The Institute of Propulsion Systems and Power Electronics of the Leibniz University Hannover is responsible for the design and the investigation of the powertrain.