China has sent the flying power plant of the future into the sky in the Hami desert region of Xinjiang – the S1500, the world's largest and most powerful wind turbine, which hovers high above the ground. After months of preparation, the floating steel bird successfully completed its maiden flight, opening a new chapter in the development of renewable energy sources. So, a wind turbine in the sky.
A wind turbine in the sky – the S1500 is no modest device – with a length of 60 meters, a width and a height of 40 meters, it resembles a small plane that has decided to carry 12 wind turbines instead of passengers. Each of them has a power of 100 kW, and together they form a system with a nominal power of 1.2 MW. The energy elegantly descends towards the ground via a cable – as if the turbine had its own electrical umbilical cord.
The goal is clear: to harness the stable, stronger winds at higher altitudes, where conventional windmills, even with their extended blades, cannot reach. In theory, this would mean cheaper and more efficient electricity generation, without the need for massive towers that spoil the skyline (at least for those who are not close to the beauty of industrial design).
China's home-designed megawatt-scale commercial buoyant airborne turbine, the S1500, has successfully completed its maiden flight in northwest China's Hami after passing tests including full desert assembly and continuous high-wind deployment and retrieval.
At 60 meters long, 40… pic.twitter.com/5BGHIZMX8Q
— People's Daily, China (@PDChina) September 23, 2025
First test in relentless wind – wind turbine in the sky
The desert test involved the complete assembly of the device, its lowering and raising in challenging wind conditions, and durability testing. The team has not yet released exact figures on the electricity produced, but a successful test in itself means that the concept works.
The S1500 is the latest member of a family that began with the smaller S500 and S1000 models. The project is being developed by Beijing SAWES Energy Technology, Tsinghua University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Their ambition? A turbine that can operate continuously for 25 years. If the prediction comes true, this “flying transformer” will also be able to power remote areas and quickly provide electricity in the event of natural disasters – where infrastructure is often the first casualty.
Energy of the future or just a spectacle?
While it sounds like something out of a science fiction movie—a giant steel box floating in the air, sending megawatts of energy toward the ground—the technology is more than serious. If future tests prove reliable and cost-effective, China could open up a whole new market for wind energy with this project.
Of course, the question remains: how will local residents accept the fact that a 60-meter flying "cooler" is hovering above their heads? For now, all that is clear is that wind is still free, and China apparently has serious plans to start capturing it from heights where conventional windmills cannot.
