- Chinese company is testing a megawatt-class airborne wind system that brings electricity to the grid
- Helium lifted S2000 airship reaches 2 km and generates mains power
- Developers are targeting urban and off-grid wind energy applications
A Chinese company has tested what it describes as the world’s first megawatt-class airborne wind power system designed to feed electricity directly into the grid.
The helium-lifted platform, known as the S2000, rose to about 6,560 ft and generated power during a recent flight test in southwest China.
The system was developed by Beijing-based company Linyi Yunchuan Energy Technology and conducted its first grid-connected test near Yibin in Sichuan province.
The world’s first MW-class S2000 Stratosphere Airborne Wind Energy System (SAWES) for urban use has successfully completed a test flight in Yibin, southwest China’s Sichuan Province. During the test, the system rose to an altitude of 2,000 meters and generated and fed 385… pic.twitter.com/CFynQ6h0b813 January 2026
385 kilowatt-hours of electricity
During the flight, the airship climbed to about 2 km and generated 385 kilowatt-hours of electricity, which was fed into the local grid.
The test marked the first real-world power generation demonstration for the S2000, also called the Stratosphere Airborne Wind Energy System, or SAWES.
Visually, the platform resembles a large airship with a floating envelope and an integrated power generation structure suspended below it.
The company said the system measures about 197 feet long and 131 feet wide and high, making it suitable for installation closer to urban areas than many experimental airborne wind systems.
The S2000 relies on a helium-filled aerostat to lift a lightweight wind power unit into higher-altitude wind layers, where the airflow is typically stronger and more stable.
Electricity generated in the air is transferred to the ground through a tether, which also plays a role in stabilizing and positioning the platform.
Weng Hanke, chief technology officer at Linyi Yunchuan, said the company is targeting both off-grid use and integration with conventional wind farms.
“One is for off-grid settings like border posts, where it can serve as a relatively stable conventional energy source. The other is to complement traditional onshore wind power systems and create a three-dimensional approach to energy supply,” he said.
A key feature of the design is its ducted airflow system, formed between the main casing and an annular wing.
“It’s like wrapping the wind from all sides and restricting the air flow in this channel so that as much wind as possible is captured by the blades. We have installed 12 wind turbines in this channel,” Weng said.
The company says the system can reach a nominal capacity of up to 3MW, supported by a total volume of almost 20,000 cubic meters.
Linyi Yunchuan has started small batch production and is planning an expanded production capacity for envelope materials in Zhejiang province.
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