The Chinese company Beijing SAWES Energy Technology Company announced preparations for the next tests of the so-called celestial wind power plant, an apparatus that combines the design of an airship and a wind turbine, the South China Morning Post reports. The lightweight body filled with helium allows the platform to rise to a height of 1,500 meters, where the wind speed is three times higher than at the surface of the earth. It is this feature that makes the project promising for providing energy to disaster areas and remote areas such as islands or industrial facilities.

For safe operation, a network of ground-based weather radars is used in combination with sensors on board. In case of dangerous gusts, the system automatically stops the operation of the turbines within five minutes. Nevertheless, the risk of such phenomena is considered minimal, since at high altitude the winds are much more stable and predictable than at the surface. Additionally, the developed helium retention technology is able to ensure that the platform stays in the air for up to 25 years without the need for gas replacement.

Previously, SAWES had already conducted tests at altitudes of 500 and 1000 meters, gradually approaching an even more ambitious goal - reaching the level of stratospheric winds. The company believes that in the case of mass production of such installations and their elevation to a height of about 10,000 meters, where air flows are about 200 times more powerful than on earth, the technology will be able to gain widespread commercial application. In this case, the cost of electricity produced will become competitive compared to traditional sources.

In the fall of 2024, SAWES tested a 23x15 meter airship with a 500 kW turbine. In January 2025, the next prototype, 30 meters long and 15 meters wide, with a 100 kW turbine, rose to a height of 1,000 meters. The company is currently preparing the S1500 platform for flight, which will be able to lift a 1 megawatt turbine to an altitude of 1,500 meters. According to SAWES, orders worth more than $70 million have already been concluded.

For comparison, in the USA, the most powerful similar project was able to raise a wind turbine with a capacity of only 30 kW to a height of 297 meters - this corresponds to the level of modern onshore wind turbines. Chinese engineers consider reaching the milestone of 1000-1500 meters as a real technological breakthrough. korrespondent.net.