China tests world's first floating wind turbineHigh-altitude, airship-like machine is designed to tap into stronger, steadier winds far above our headsView Image Stratosphere Airborne Wind Energy SystemChina has built a new type of wind turbine that floats in the air. The high-altitude, airship-like machine has just passed its first test after being flown at 2,000 metres and plugged into the national power grid. ‌The S2000 Stratosphere Airborne Wind Energy System (SAWES) is designed to tap into stronger, steadier winds found far above the heights of conventional ground-based turbines. Weng Hanke, co‑founder and chief technology officer of Beijing Linyi Yunchuan Energy Technology, which leads the project, said: "Traditional turbines turn their blades on the ground; we do the same in the sky." Airborne wind energy has long promised access to more reliable wind with a smaller land footprint, but the field has struggled to move from prototypes to reliable, grid‑scale operation.