An investment infusion of £5 million ($6.19 million) from E.ON, Schlumberger and Shell Technology Ventures will support technical and commercial development of high-altitude wind power generation technology by a British company active in the kite power market.

Kite Power Systems (KPS) designed an energy generation system in which two kites are flown as high as 1500 feet (450m), tethered to a winch system that generates electricity as it spools out.

The kites fly at 1000m and can achieve flight speeds of 100mph. Credit: Kite Power SystemsBy achieving flight speeds of up to 100 mph (45m/s) in 20 mph (9m/s) winds, the kite’s tether tension causes the line to spool out from a drum, which turns a generator producing electricity.

The company claims its technology can reduce expenditure of conventional offshore turbines by as much as 50% because its power system doesn’t require large quantities of steel or specialist installation vessels. The lower cost means that kite power generation would not need government subsidies and could be deployed in UK and Irish waters – and other areas of the North Sea – and in waters up to and potentially deeper than 40m found offshore of countries including Portugal, Japan and the U.S.

The investment will support plans to deploy a 500 kW onshore power system at West Freugh in South West Scotland in 2017, leading to a planned onshore demonstration array of multiple 500 kW systems within the next 3-4 years. KPS will then develop a 3MW onshore system at West Freugh and deploy a similarly sized power system offshore.