China's domestically developed S4000 airborne wind power system completed full
flight verification at a northwest test site, reaching a maximum operational
altitude of 4,000m. An iterative upgrade to the S2000, the S4000 uses a new
configuration with broadly improved performance, a 20-year design life, and
compatibility with most domestic deployment regions and mainstream grid
requirements. High-altitude wind power has been included in the national '15th
Five-Year' renewable energy development plan; the successful S4000 trial fills a
key engineering-application gap and increases China's high-altitude clean-energy
supply capacity.
