An American green energy firm is targeting the skies above Scotland as the launchpad for technology it believes could revolutionise the global renewables market.
The BAT – Buoyant Airborne Turbine – is the result of an £800,000 study by entrepreneur Ben Glass and senior US military figures.
The blimp-borne devices are designed to tap into stronger winds and developer Altaeros Energies claims they have the potential to produce more power than traditional turbines.
The company sees Scotland as a potential location to deploy the technology.
Its business development manager, Ryan Holy, said: “The real value is that we are generating more electricity because we are capturing stronger, more consistent resource, and that means that the price is going to be lower because the annual KWH produced will be a lot higher.
“In addition to that, the customer doesn’t have to deal with a lot of the logistical headaches of installing a concrete path or a tower, which can take some time and might be dependent on seasons.”
Since launching in 2010, the company has produced four prototypes of the BAT – increasing the size and power generating capability with each evolution.
The first commercial product, which Altaeros aims to pilot in Alaska next year, is expected to produce 30KW from a height of 1,000ft, with plans for a 100KW-plus turbine to follow.
The technology, which will allow electricity production to be increased up to threefold compared with traditional turbines, is best suited for regions which suffer from high energy costs, the company says.
The BAT is a helium-filled shell made of gas-tight fabric surrounding lightweight, conventional, three-blade turbines.
The energy produced is transmitted to a portable ground station by high-strength tethers which also hold the turbine in place and are designed to withstand varying weather conditions.
A control system and power conditioning equipment in the ground station allows the system to be operated remotely.
Mr Holy said: “We are looking at remote and rural locations first, and any region that is suffering from high electricity costs, as our product can give that customer more energy independence and lower their price, so it could be some parts of Scotland, or any islands that have to ship their fuel in.”
With a steady flow of orders from investors and customers already, the company is considering potential future locations.
Mr Holy continued: “We are very flexible on where we’d like to work out of, manufacture and assemble our product, and it’s going to really come down to our partners, our international relations and what’s a good fit for us, so that’s definitely something we’d like to see in the future.
“The current challenge we are looking at is making sure that we fit the current airspace regulation, that we operate within a certain altitude or that we operate away from a certain area.
“The same applies to the customers, who need to make sure they have the permitting available.”
The company, which hopes to start taking orders from 2016, aims to provide full operation and maintenance services for the remotely operated system.
Mr Holy added: “I think we’re very proud of where we are – to be the first airborne wind energy company to actually have a commercial system approved and funded for, versus a prototype that we worked on. We want to be seen as the leader in this airborne energy industry.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “The Scottish Government supports the development of a diverse range of electricity generation from renewable energy technologies in order to drive down greenhouse gas emissions, provide energy security and promote sustainable economic growth.
“It purposefully engages with developers of numerous new and emerging technologies as they arise and is always happy to assist companies working in this sector to identify any potential support, any likely issues and information on the necessary consents.”
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