This book primarily elaborates on the importance of airborne wind energy technology, its system composition, and classification, as well as the current major technical routes and their characteristics. Since the twenty-first century, the global energy structure has been adjusting at an accelerated pace, and a new journey to address climate change has commenced. The Paris Agreement has gained extensive support and participation from the international community, with its focus centered on renewable energy sources such as wind energy, solar energy, and biofuels. Airborne wind energy technology is a brand new endeavor in the field of wind power generation, holding profound significance. As an emerging renewable energy technology, the ground-based parachute-ladder airborne wind energy technology possesses higher adaptability, broad development prospects, and enormous market potential. It represents a proactive exploration into the capture and utilization of high-altitude wind resources, capable of promoting the innovation and advancement of airborne wind energy technology, enabling the large-scale application and sustainable development of high-altitude wind energy resources, advancing the utilization of clean energy, and contributing to the global green and low-carbon transformation of energy as well as the achievement of the “dual carbon” goals.

Finally, it conducts a prospective analysis from aspects such as the industrialization prospects of the ground-based parachute-ladder airborne wind energy technology, its potential for large-scale application, business model analysis, application scenario analysis, social and economic benefit analysis, as well as opportunities and challenges. Notably, this book provides a detailed account of the early-stage demonstration and engineering application of this original technology. This pilot project is currently the only airborne wind energy project in China and also deploys the airborne wind energy equipment with the largest power rating globally, which is of great significance for the maturation and promotion of this technology.

Bixiong Luo is the chairman of China Power Engineering Consulting Group Co., Ltd. (CPECC) and the chief scientist of China Energy Engineering Group Co., Ltd. He is a National Master of Engineering Investigation and Design. Besides, he was selected for the National Hundred, Thousand, and Ten Thousand Talents Project. He serves as the head of the National Key R&D Program’s airborne wind energy project and directed the construction of the world’s first megawatt-class airborne wind energy demonstration project.

 

Li Zhang is the vice president and the chief scientist of China Power Engineering Consulting Group Co., Ltd. He is a recognized master of Electric Power Survey and Design and holds the title of professor-level senior engineer.

 

Kaijun Peng is the vice president and chief engineer of China Power Engineering Consulting Group Co., Ltd. He is a master of Electric Power Survey and Design and a National Registered Electrical Engineer. He holds the rank of professor-level senior engineer and was among the first batch of “First-Class Technical Experts” and “Excellent Innovators” by China Energy Engineering Group Co., Ltd.