China’s first key national R&D project equipment for high-altitude wind energy — the world’s largest 5,000-square-meter power-generating kite — conducts flight tests in Alxa Left Banner, North China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, on November 12, 2025. Photo: screenshot of CMG’s report

 
China's first key national R&D project equipment for high-altitude wind energy — the world's largest 5,000-square-meter power-generating kite — successfully completed all scheduled flight tests in Alxa Left Banner, North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, on Wednesday, according to China Media Group (CMG).

The China-made kite, developed under a national program led by China Energy Engineering Corp, achieved full in-air deployment and retraction during testing, marking a solid step toward the engineering application of high-altitude wind power technology in China, CMG reported.

Resembling a giant kite, the power-generating kite can harness wind energy at altitudes above 300 meters and transmit it to the ground through a tether cable that drives a generator to produce electricity. The latest test successfully carried out both the deployment and retraction of a 5,000-square-meter kite and two 1,200-square-meter kites, according to CMG.

High-altitude wind energy, often described as an untapped "no-man's land" of renewable power, offers significant potential thanks to its higher wind speeds, stable directions, and greater energy density. Two main technological paths are being explored globally — airborne and ground-based systems. In the airborne approach, lightweight wind turbines are mounted on flying platforms to generate electricity in the sky, CMG reported.

The recent test focused on the ground-based model, in which a working canopy deployed at high altitude captures wind energy to drive a ground-based generator, according to CMG.

Global Times