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Energy firm E.ON is to invest €3 million to build a new test site off the coast of Co Mayo for airborne wind energy devices.
Ampyx Power and E.ON have entered into a cooperation aiming at furthering Ampyx Power's Airborne Wind Energy technology into commercial deployment.
The test site will be used by Ampyx Power for testing, verification and demonstration of continuous operation of Ampyx Power’s fully functional technology demonstrator, and its subsequent 2 MW Airborne Wind Energy System (AWES).
Ampyx Power's 2 MW AWES will be tailored to repower the first generation offshore wind parks once the service life has come to an end. The testing at the E.ON test site is an important stepping stone towards subsequent offshore demonstration and eventually commercial deployment of Ampyx Power's AWES and follow-up products.
Ampyx Power has started construction of its fully functional demonstrator in 2016. In order to finance activities towards commercialisation of its technology, Ampyx Power aspires to enlarge its current base of informal investors with a new crowdfunding campaign targeting investments of €2.5 million.
Frank Meyer, SVP B2C Solution Management and Innovation at E.ON said: "E.ON has been looking into Airborne Wind technologies for five years and we believe it has true game changing potential. It supports one of our overall targets to drive down cost of renewable energy, and also allowing production of renewable energy at locations where it is currently not economical and technical feasible today. While in principle we are technology agnostic, we consider this cooperation with Ampyx Power a major step in our efforts to take a leading role in furthering the promising emerging Airborne Wind Energy sector."
