China's airborne wind energy breakthrough

Overview

Updated May 23

In 1957, Chinese aerospace pioneer Qian Xuesen proposed capturing wind energy by wrapping turbines in circular housings at high altitudes. Seven decades later, a Beijing startup realized the vision: on September 19-21, 2025, China flew the S1500, a helium-filled turbine the size of a basketball court, at 1,500 meters in Xinjiang's desert, generating one megawatt. No other country has come close.

The achievement is a potential inflection point for airborne wind energy, a field that has struggled for decades to move from concept to commercial viability. Where Alphabet's Makani project collapsed in 2020 after years of testing 600-kilowatt systems, China's SAWES has already secured $70 million in contracts and plans mass production by 2026. The physics are compelling: wind at 1,500 meters blows three times faster than at ground level, theoretically producing 27 times more power. If SAWES can demonstrate long-term reliability, airborne wind could unlock renewable energy in deserts, islands, and disaster zones where conventional turbines cannot reach.

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Key Indicators

1 MW

Power Generated

First megawatt-scale airborne wind turbine successfully tested

1,500m

Operating Altitude

Seven times higher than the tallest conventional wind turbines reach

40%

Material Reduction

Less material needed compared to tower-based turbines—no steel towers or deep foundations

$70M

Contracts Secured

SAWES has already secured contracts and begun batch production

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

Ever wondered what historical figures would say about today's headlines?

People Involved

Dun Tianrui

Founder and CEO, SAWES Energy Technology

Leading commercialization of airborne wind systems

Weng Hanke

Chief Technology Officer, SAWES Energy Technology

Leading technical development of SAWES systems

Qian Xuesen

Aerospace Engineer and 'Father of Chinese Aerospace'

Deceased (1911-2009)

Organizations Involved

Beijing SAWES Energy Technology Co., Ltd.

Startup / Clean Energy Technology

Leading China's airborne wind energy development

Beijing-based startup developing megawatt-scale airborne wind turbines using helium-filled aerostats.

Tsinghua University

Research university

Key research partner in SAWES development

One of China's leading research universities, collaborating with SAWES on airborne wind turbine development.

Makani Technologies LLC

Defunct Startup / Clean Energy Technology

Shut down by Alphabet in February 2020

American airborne wind company that developed kite-based crosswind systems before Alphabet discontinued funding.

Timeline

1957 2026

10 events Latest: 2026

Tap a bar to jump to that date

2026
S2000 Achieves First Grid Connection
Latest Breakthrough

The S2000 rises to 2,000 meters over Yibin, Sichuan Province, and successfully feeds 385 kilowatt-hours of electricity into the local power grid—the first grid connection for any airborne wind turbine worldwide.
2026
September 2025
S1500 Generates 1 Megawatt—A World First
Breakthrough

Between September 19-21, the S1500—60 meters long, 40 meters wide and tall—generates one megawatt of power during desert tests in Xinjiang. It becomes the world's first megawatt-scale airborne wind turbine.
September 19th, 2025
2025
S1000 Doubles Altitude and Output
Milestone

SAWES's S1000 reaches 1,000 meters altitude, doubling output to 100 kilowatts—demonstrating consistent scaling of the technology.
2025
October 2024
S500 Prototype Reaches 500 Meters
Milestone

SAWES's helium-filled S500 blimp ascends to 500 meters above ground in Hubei Province, generating power at a rate exceeding 50 kilowatts.
October 2024
February 2020
Alphabet Shuts Down Makani
Industry

Alphabet discontinues Makani after 13 years and a failed offshore test in Norway. The company releases its patents and research as open source, ending the most prominent Western airborne wind effort.
February 18th, 2020
2018
SAWES Energy Technology Founded
Corporate

Dun Tianrui and Weng Hanke formally establish SAWES Energy Technology in Beijing after Weng's atmospheric research revealed the potential of upper-atmosphere wind capture.
2018
January 2017
SAWES Begins Research
Development

SAWES begins research on airborne generators based on Qian Xuesen's 1957 concepts, starting with a team of seven people experimenting with helium-filled platforms.
January 1st, 2017
May 2013
Google Acquires Makani
Industry

Google acquires Makani Technologies, making it an X moonshot project and signaling major tech industry interest in airborne wind energy.
May 2013
2006
Makani Technologies Founded in California
Industry

Makani Technologies launches in Alameda, California, to develop crosswind kite power systems—marking the modern era of airborne wind energy development.
2006
1957
Qian Xuesen Proposes High-Altitude Wind Concept
Conceptual

Chinese aerospace engineer Qian Xuesen proposes wrapping turbines in circular housings to capture high-altitude wind energy—the foundational concept SAWES would later commercialize.
1957

Scenarios

Airborne Wind Goes Mainstream in China by 2030

Possible

Discussed by: SAWES company statements, Xinhua news coverage, industry analysts at Global Energy Monitor

SAWES achieves mass production in 2026 as planned, demonstrating 25-year operational reliability. The technology proves especially valuable in Xinjiang's desert energy mega-projects and remote border regions. By 2030, airborne wind contributes a measurable fraction of China's 1,600+ gigawatt renewable capacity, with fleets operating at progressively higher altitudes. Other countries license or adapt the technology.

Reliability Problems Stall Commercial Deployment

Possible

Discussed by: U.S. Department of Energy airborne wind assessment, Near Zero energy analysis nonprofit, Yale Environment 360

Despite successful tests, SAWES systems prove unable to operate continuously for months or years without significant maintenance—the same reliability challenge that has plagued all prior airborne wind ventures. Helium leakage, tether wear, and extreme weather events cause frequent groundings. The technology remains limited to niche applications like disaster response and remote outposts rather than grid-scale power generation.

Western Companies Catch Up with Chinese Lead

Uncertain

Discussed by: Airborne Wind Europe association, Physics World, industry analysts

SAWES's open-source competitor Makani, combined with China's demonstrated success, spurs renewed Western investment in airborne wind. Companies like Kitepower (Netherlands), SkySails (Germany), and new U.S. entrants leverage Makani's released patents and develop competing megawatt-scale systems. Regulatory frameworks in Europe and the U.S. evolve to accommodate airborne systems, creating a competitive global market by the early 2030s.

China Achieves 10,000-Meter Jet Stream Capture

Unlikely

Discussed by: SAWES CEO Dun Tianrui public statements, atmospheric energy researchers

SAWES achieves its stated goal of operating at 10,000 meters, where wind flows 200 times stronger than at ground level. This enables electricity costs below $0.01 per kilowatt-hour—cheaper than any existing power source. The breakthrough fundamentally disrupts global energy markets, though regulatory and aviation safety challenges limit deployment locations.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

February 2020

Makani Technologies Collapse (2020)

After 13 years of development and acquisition by Google in 2013, Alphabet shut down Makani Technologies, the most prominent Western effort to commercialize airborne wind energy. The company had developed a 600-kilowatt crosswind kite system but failed during a 2019 test flight off Norway's coast, with the generator crashing into the sea. Alphabet cited a 'longer and riskier' path to commercialization than anticipated.

Then

Makani released its entire patent portfolio and 13 years of technical data as open source, allowing competitors to build on its research.

Now

The collapse created widespread skepticism about airborne wind energy's commercial viability, leaving the field without a major Western champion. SAWES has explicitly positioned its success as vindication of the technology Makani couldn't commercialize.

Why this matters now

SAWES's achievement directly addresses the failure that ended Makani: generating megawatt-scale power that Makani never reached. China's state-backed approach—university partnerships, sustained funding—offers a different development model than Silicon Valley's moonshot style.

2010-2025

China's Solar Panel Industry Dominance (2010s-2020s)

Through sustained state investment, manufacturing scale, and aggressive cost reduction, China came to dominate global solar panel production. By 2023, China manufactured over 80% of the world's solar panels. Western competitors like Germany's SolarWorld and multiple U.S. manufacturers went bankrupt or exited the market.

Then

Solar panel prices dropped by over 90%, accelerating global solar adoption far beyond forecasts.

Now

The West became dependent on Chinese solar supply chains, triggering trade disputes and prompting efforts to rebuild domestic manufacturing. China gained significant leverage in the global clean energy transition.

Why this matters now

If SAWES succeeds in commercializing airborne wind at scale, it could follow a similar pattern: Chinese dominance in an emerging clean energy technology, with Western competitors struggling to catch up despite early research leads.

1970-1990

Early U.S. Airborne Wind Energy Research (1970s-1980s)

The first major wave of airborne wind energy research emerged in the United States during the 1970s energy crisis. Miles Loyd published foundational work on crosswind kite power in 1980, calculating the theoretical energy potential of tethered wings flying perpendicular to the wind. Several research programs explored high-altitude wind capture.

Then

Falling oil prices in the mid-1980s eliminated funding, and no significant installations resulted from the research.

Now

Loyd's theoretical work became the foundation for all modern airborne wind systems, including Makani's crosswind kites and SAWES's ducted turbines.

Why this matters now

Airborne wind energy has seen multiple boom-bust cycles tied to energy prices and funding cycles. SAWES's progress comes amid sustained Chinese clean energy investment regardless of short-term economics—a structural advantage over funding-dependent Western research.