Norse Airborne Wind Energy Project

Introduction

The project, known as the Norse Airborne Wind Energy Project (NAWEP), will see KML build and operate one of the world’s first Airborne Wind Energy (AWE) Arrays to be located in Norway. AWE is a new form of wind energy that has moved from nascent academic research through the mid-1980s to significant demonstration of viable commercial systems at TRL7 in the last five years, seeing major investment in the sector from utilities and oil and gas majors.

Project Overview

KML proposes to build and operate an onshore array of at least 12 of the 100kW KM2 devices, generating a combined 1.2MW. While this array is producing significantly less than the typical 3MW to 5MW rating of a single commercial onshore Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine (HAWT), the project is a significant step forward for the sector.

Objectives

The project will allow KML to accrue 500,000 operating hours of AWE technology within 5 years to demonstrate real-world reliability and maintainability. In this period, the array will be operated on a commercial basis, generating revenue. This is an essential objective to allow AWE to compete on an investment risk basis with HAWT technology for full-scale commercial deployment.

Site Selection

KML has spent several months selecting an appropriate site with minimal impact on the natural and human environment and in a location that will have minimal impact on aviation navigation. The selected site falls within an EU recognized and funded drone development corridor known as Green Fly Way (www.greenflyway.se) that crosses the border between Norway and Sweden.

Compliance and Impact

AWE operates at higher altitudes than HAWT and typically has to comply with EASA aviation regulations for UAVs, ensuring minimal impact on aircraft navigation. This site selection overcomes these hurdles for an early demonstration project.

Future Plans

Building on the success of this project, KML will continue to scale the technology to ultimately compete with HAWT, offering a product with a cost of energy approximately 50% lower than HAWT and a carbon footprint which is 80% lower.