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Weng Hanke

Weng Hanke

Chief Technology Officer, SAWES Energy Technology

Appears in 1 story

Notable Quotes

Wind flows roughly three times faster at 1,500 meters above ground than it does on land, which means it could increase the power output by approximately 27 times.

The airborne platform can be launched quickly after an earthquake or flood to keep lights, radios and life-saving equipment running.

Stories

China's airborne wind energy breakthrough

New Capabilities

Leading technical development of SAWES systems

In 1957, Chinese aerospace pioneer Qian Xuesen proposed capturing wind energy by wrapping turbines in circular housings at high altitudes. Nearly seven decades later, a Beijing startup has turned that vision into reality. Between September 19 and 21, 2025, China successfully flew the S1500β€”a helium-filled turbine the size of a basketball courtβ€”at 1,500 meters altitude in Xinjiang's desert, generating one megawatt of power. No other country has come close to this scale.

Updated Jan 26