CORDIS

The second year of the Horizon 2020 REACH project is now turning to an end. This periodic report provides an overview of the consor um’s work lead by the system integrator Kitepower (enevate) together with its research and industry partners TU Del , Dromec, Maxon Motor & Genetrix. The report outlines which goals the consor um members have set themselves and which milestones have been reached towards their achievement.
The past year was a successful period for the REACH project. Major technical milestones were reached by the consor um partners and the rst commercial project launched by Kitepower.
The team of Kitepower doubled in size, which added important new exper se for growth. The 100kW ground sta on for the commercial system was delivered by Dromec in summer 2017 and since then being tested in the integrated system by Enevate. Maxon motor assembled and delivered two new KCU prototypes which were tested by enevate in the eld with the goal of performing several op miza on loops.
In 2017, the WINDVOGEL project as part of the 2 month ICOON A suitdijk design and innova on program by Daan Roosegaarde and his team was Kitepower’s rst commercial success as an o cial development partner. The project gained world-wide a en on and visibility for airborne wind energy technology as the future of energy.
The the airborne wind energy sector as a whole keeps constantly growing. The Airborne Wind Energy Conference 2017 gathered all major industry and research players in Freiburg (Germany) and represen ng how the technology moves closer and closer towards commercializa on. It was also an illustra ve example of how the European Union’s strategic funding e orts are crea ng a bridge of collabora on between universi es, startups and industry. As part of this larger industry, Kitepower collaborated ac vely with other companies in 2017 to establish the policy for the emerging airborne wind energy industry sector as a whole.
Airborne wind energy is ge ng closer and closer towards the goal of commercializa on with the market entry of many companies planned by the end of 2018. The REACH project and its consor um partners proved in 2017 that they are at the forefront of this development and the coming year 2018 will be an exci ng one for the whole sector.