Juli Lifting Equipment Assists in the World’s First Megawatt-Class Commercial Aerostats Wind Power System Completing Test Flight in Gobi Desert Conditions

From September 19 to 21, 2025, the world’s first megawatt-class high-altitude wind power generation system—the S1500-type tethered aerial wind energy system (SAWES)—successfully completed its inaugural test flight at the Naomao Lake base in Hami, Xinjiang. The tether cables and deployment/retrieval systems provided by Julei Rigging delivered critical support for the flight’s success.
The successfully tested S1500 system is currently the world’s largest and highest-power-generating aerostats-based high-altitude wind power installation. With a total length of 60 meters, width of 40 meters, and height of 40 meters, its overall dimensions exceed those of a standard basketball court. The main airbag and ring-wing structure jointly form a unique giant duct aerodynamic configuration, enhancing flight stability while significantly boosting wind energy capture efficiency. The system is equipped with 12 interconnected 100-kilowatt wind turbines, with a total rated power exceeding 1 megawatt.
Stabilizing and operating the megawatt-class S1500 system at high altitudes presented significant technical challenges. Jiali Rigging supplied the mooring cables and deployment/retrieval systems, ensuring the system successfully withstood extreme conditions during test flights—including alternating strong winds day and night and sandstorms—to guarantee stable operation.

Compared to traditional onshore wind turbines, the aerostats eliminate the need for heavy-duty towers, featuring simplified foundations that reduce material usage by 40% and lower the cost per kilowatt-hour by 30%. Additionally, the system enables rapid relocation, making it suitable for environments like deserts, islands, and mining areas.

The successful test flight lays a solid foundation for comprehensive testing and full-scale power generation deployment of the system. As the project progresses, Juli Rope will continue to play a pivotal role, providing reliable support throughout the project lifecycle and vigorously advancing the development and refinement of China’s high-altitude wind energy industry chain.

About the “S1500 System”
The world’s first megawatt-class high-altitude wind power generation system—the S1500 Aerostats for Wind Energy Storage (SAWES)—was independently developed by Beijing Linyi Yunchuan Energy Technology Co., Ltd. in collaboration with authoritative research institutions including Tsinghua University and the Institute of Aerospace Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The project has successively overcome challenges such as aerostat stability, lightweight motors, and kilometer-level high-voltage power transmission. In October 2024, the SAWES-500 ascended to 500 meters, achieving a power generation capacity of 50 kilowatts. By January 2025, the SAWES-1000 reached 1,000 meters with a power output of 100 kilowatts, laying a solid foundation for the application of this megawatt-scale system. The successful test flight marks a pivotal step forward in China’s quest to harness electricity from the sky.