MegaAWE
The MegaAWE project was led by Mayo County Council in partnership with Ampyx Power, RWE, Airborne Wind Europe and other organisations across Ireland, Europe and the UK. The test site was based in Bangor Erris, County Mayo on land leased from Bord Na Mona. The project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
The system being tested consists of a ground-based winch generator, a launch and land platform, and the Power plane. The power plane, which had a 12-metre wingspan, is connected to the generator by an ultra-strong tether. It draws the tether from the winch and produces electricity by acting against the resistance of the built-in generator. Airborne wind energy systems utilise strong and steady winds at higher altitudes. Once the tether is fully extended, the device glides back towards the winch, as the tether is reeled back in. Retrieving the tether requires just a fraction of the electricity already generated, resulting in net power production. This cycle is repeated, producing clean, low-cost energy. Airborne Wind Energy has low visual impact with minimal environmental and ecological impacts.
The overall objective of the project was to bring large scale multi megawatt Airborne Wind Energy systems closer to the market, unlocking new locations for wind energy production including remote onshore and floating offshore applications in Northwest Europe and beyond.
The MegaAWE project is now complete, however, a follow on project is being developed drawing on insights from MegaAWE, the DEM-AWE collaboration will showcase a groundbreaking application of airborne wind energy (AWE) that’s nearing market readiness: a kite-powered battery energy storage system (K-BESS). This mobile renewable energy solution has the potential to extend the reach of renewable energy to remote and off-grid areas, including islands, and to sectors like construction and agriculture that rely heavily on diesel generators. For more information, please visit https://dem-awe.nweurope.eu/