On 4 June, 3IE Energía hosted a webinar dedicated to airborne wind energy, bringing together stakeholders interested in the latest technological developments, emerging applications and future opportunities for the sector. The session featured a presentation by Raúl Villa Caro, Secretary of EXPONAV, followed by an interactive discussion with Kristian Petrick, Secretary General of Airborne Wind Europe.
During his presentation, Villa provided an accessible introduction to AWE, explaining how kites can harness stronger and more consistent winds at higher altitudes to generate electricity while using significantly fewer materials than conventional wind technology. He also highlighted the potential of AWE to provide clean energy in remote areas, islands and locations where traditional infrastructure may be difficult or costly to deploy.
Villa reviewed the current state of the technology, presenting examples of ongoing projects and discussing the advantages of AWE, including lower material requirements, reduced visual impact, rapid deployment capabilities and the possibility of integration with microgrids and hybrid renewable energy systems. He also addressed the regulatory challenges that still need to be overcome before the sector can scale further.
AWE is moving from demonstration to commercial applications
Following the presentation, Kristian Petrick, Secretary General of AWEU, joined the discussion to provide an update on the current status of the sector and its pathway towards commercialisation.
“There are several applications already emerging today,” Petrick explained. “For instance, our member Kitepower is currently demonstrating in the Netherlands how airborne wind energy systems can provide clean and flexible electricity for construction sites, helping companies reduce emissions while meeting their energy needs.”
Petrick also underlined the importance of establishing dedicated support frameworks for the sector. “We need specific remuneration schemes for AWE to support the first commercial projects and accelerate market uptake,” he said.
Looking ahead, Petrick expressed confidence that the sector will continue to grow in both the number of projects and installed capacity as the technology progresses towards larger-scale deployments.
Spain emerges as a promising market for airborne wind energy
The webinar generated strong engagement from attendees, who actively participated in the discussion and raised numerous questions about technology readiness, regulation, commercial applications and future market opportunities. Given that the event was primarily targeted at Spanish stakeholders, particular attention was paid to Spain’s potential to become one of Europe’s most promising markets for AWE. This is already reflected in the work being carried out by Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) and CT Ingenieros, which are jointly developing the first 100% Spanish AWE system.
Building momentum towards AWEC 2026
During the session, Jesús Carballo, Communications Manager at AWEU, invited participants to continue following developments in the sector through the upcoming AWEU activities in Portugal. Participants were encouraged to join the webinar Exploring Airborne Wind Energy opportunities in Portugal and its Atlantic Islands on 15 June, as well as the public kite exhibition taking place on 17 June at Parque Quinta da Lamas in Porto. Both events form part of the lead-up to AWEC 2026, the world’s leading AWE conference, which will take place in Porto from 24 to 26 June.
Airborne Wind Europe would like to thank Raúl Villa Caro for his introduction and continued efforts to raise awareness of airborne wind energy among Spanish-speaking audiences. We also extend our sincere thanks to 3IE Energía for organising the webinar and providing a platform to discuss the future of this innovative renewable energy technology.