Periodic Reporting for period 1 - AWE-KM2 (Airborne Wind Energy: Innovative KM2 AWE System by Kitemill)
Reporting period: 2024-10-01 to 2025-09-30
AWE-KM2 addresses the urgent need to decarbonize the energy sector by advancing Airborne Wind Energy (AWE) as a more material-efficient and scalable alternative to conventional wind. Kitemill’s KM2 system uses a tethered rigid kite to harness stronger, more stable winds at higher altitudes, reducing LCOE by 50% and using 90% less material. This supports EU goals under the Green Deal and Net Zero Industry Act, extending wind power to new regions and use cases.
The KM1 system demonstrated consistent performance and high automation levels during testing. Control system refinements and use of proprietary simulation tools enabled improved validation and design efficiency. These developments represent important steps toward demonstrating the scalability and reliability of airborne wind energy, contributing to the project's ambition to commercialize KM2.
During the first year of the project, Kitemill achieved significant progress in automated control of its KM1 system, particularly in the area of autonomous landing. The system was extensively tested under Visual Line of Sight (VLOS), and control architecture improvements were validated in real-world flights. The integrated simulation toolchain was further developed and applied to support KM2 system design and validation. These developments mark an important step toward scalable, autonomous airborne wind energy systems and regulatory readiness for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations.