Imagine a giant, high-tech kite tethered to the ground that flies where winds are strongest and most steady. Instead of building massive steel towers, this system catches wind at high altitudes to generate electricity. It's like a wind turbine that can fly, using far fewer materials to get the same job done.
Conventional wind energy requires massive amounts of steel and critical raw materials, leading to high costs and difficult permitting processes. There is a need for a more material-efficient way to capture high-altitude winds.
A 100 kW airborne wind energy system (KM2) consisting of a tethered rigid kite and a ground station, supported by an automated control architecture and simulation toolchain.
If you are an industrial site operator dealing with high energy costs in remote areas — this project developed the KM2 system that reduces LCOE by 50% and simplifies installation compared to traditional turbines.
If you are a developer dealing with strict permit regulations and material shortages — this project developed a kite-based system that uses 90% less raw materials and has greater social acceptance for easier permitting.
If you are a mining company dealing with a high carbon footprint in energy-intensive operations — this project developed a 100 kW system that provides a more stable power output with 90% fewer critical raw materials.
The KM2 system aims for a 50% lower Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) and significantly lower CAPEX and OPEX than conventional wind turbines.
Kitemill is currently developing the KM2 100 kW commercial system.
Based on available project data, the technology is developed by Kitemill AS, but specific licensing terms are not provided.
The project is working toward regulatory readiness for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations to enable scalable deployment.
The project period runs from 2024-10-01 to 2026-09-30, focusing on de-risking the system for commercialization.
The project is led by a single SME, Kitemill AS from Norway, representing 100% of the industry ratio. This lean structure suggests a fast-tracked, company-driven development path focused on commercializing their proprietary KM2 technology without the complexity of a multi-partner academic consortium.
Contact Kitemill AS in Norway for commercial inquiries regarding the KM2 system.
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