UK: Commercial development of KPS's Kite Power Technology under way

KPS’s kite technology has the potential to transform the offshore wind generation market as it is cheaper to manufacture and easier to deploy and maintain than conventional wind turbines. The price is so low that kite power generation would not need government subsidies and, if successful, would be deployed in UK waters as well as waters deeper than 40m found offshore of countries such as Portugal, Japan and USA.

The £1.0m Innovate UK grant will be used to scale?up KPS’s technology to a 500kW kite turbine and validate the commercial viability of 3MW floating offshore arrays. KPS is aiming to deploy its first 3MW power system onshore in 2019 and offshore by 2021.

KPS is targeting the offshore wind power generation market as its technology can reduce the capex of conventional offshore turbines by as much as 50% because its patented power system doesn’t require large quantities of steel or specialist installation vessels. Offshore wind installations are currently achieving a levelised cost of energy (LCOE) around £140/MWh and are projected to fall to £78/MWh by 2020. KPS expects to reduce that cost to about £50/MWh by 2020. 

The KPS?led consortium comprises six partners, based in England and Scotland:

• BVG Associates (Swindon and Aberdour): design optimisation of the KPS system and cost of energy validation  
• Artemis Intelligent Power (Loanhead, Edinburgh): drive train development
• Imperial College (London): aerodynamic development of the KPS wings including wind tunnel testing as part of the National Wind Tunnel Facility (www.nwtf.ac.uk)
• The National Composites Centre (Bristol): optimising kite material and manufacturing processes
• Keynvor Morlift Ltd (Appledore, Devon): mooring and installation assessments
• Banks Sails (Southampton): kite manufacturing.  

The two?year project will also include engagement with the wider public and environmental interests to assess the impacts of the rollout and operation of the kite power technology.

David Ainsworth, KPS Business Development Director said: “The calibre of the consortium members and the grant support being given by Innovate UK underlines the massive market opportunity that exists for kite power worldwide. Over the past three years, KPS has successfully demonstrated the potential for kite power generation, and with our businesspartners we now have the opportunity to accelerate the technology’s commercial development so we can deploy low cost deep?water, offshore wind energy on a global scale.”

In June 2015, Bill Gates described kite power as a “magic solution”. While there are other systems under development around the world, the patented KPS system is unique and KPS is the only British company active in the kite power market. The KPS power system has two kites that are flown on a man?made fibre tether between 500m and 750m in length; the tether is attached to a winch system that generates electricity as it spools out. By achieving flight speeds of up to 100mph (45m/s) in 20mph (9m/s) winds, the kite's tether tension causes the line to rapidly spool out from a drum, which turns a generator producing electricity.