China tests 4,000-meter airborne wind turbine blimp
China's S4000 helium airship generated electricity at 4,000 meters in a test, a world first, with potential for wider deployment.
The airship, roughly the length of a Boeing 747, uses turbines strapped to each side of its body to harness stronger and steadier winds found at altitude. Electricity generated is sent back to base through a long tether. Unlike traditional static wind turbines, the S4000 can move to windier areas as conditions change, taking up less ground space and potentially reducing complaints often directed at wind farms.
The S4000 was developed by Chinese firm Sawes Energy Technology, together with Tsinghua University and the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Earlier models, the S1500 and S2000, drew a combined total of 500 million yuan (US$74.3 million) in orders, according to the SCMP.