TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Wistron subsidiary, AiSails Power Inc., said it is working with Taipower to support the next generation of renewable energy, sail wind power generation, at a MOU signing ceremony on Wednesday (Oct. 3).

They will cooperate on airborne wind energy (AWE) through a two-year testing program at Taipower’s Changbin Photovoltaic Field. It will become the first location of its kind in Asia to deploy self-driven kites or sails for wind power generation.

The two sides announced that two 200-kilowatt-capacity sail power generation equipment will be installed in 2024. The equipment was developed by Germany's SkySails and has been tested in both Germany and Africa.

Taipower said the technology relies on proprietary SkySails, which fly at 200 to 400 meters in the air, accessing stronger winds than those on the ground, which traditional wind turbines access. Furthermore, the sales are tethered to a winch, which turns and generates electricity.

The SkySail is flown by AI technology, which directs the kite in a spiraling figure-eight pattern, alternating between retracting and releasing the kite into the wind to generate electricity. The benefits of this wind power electricity generation include a lower cost than traditional wind turbines and accessing a greater area through minimally invasive equipment.

According to the initial plans, the two-year testing phase will be used as the basis for future deployment, potentially to outlying island areas that are hard to serve through traditional electrical grids.

Both Taipower and AiSails Power Inc. believe that this model can help break the terrain restrictions of existing power generation forms.