Kitepower granted permit for BVLOS kite flights

Kitepower, a Dutch startup specialising in sustainable energy generation using kites, has been granted a permit by the Dutch Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) to conduct Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flights, Renewable Energy Magazine reports.

With the recently obtained BVLOS permit from the ILT, Kitepower’s Hawk and Falcon kites can operate without a person on-site, utilising remote monitoring instead. This increases the operational range of the kites, enabling Kitepower to generate wind energy in previously inaccessible areas, including offshore wind farms. The ILT permit also allows Kitepower to conduct BVLOS flights in segregated and atypical airspace, creating new opportunities for deploying the kites in locations with specific regulations or restrictions.

ILT granted Kitepower the permit after an extensive safety assessment of the technology. To date Kitepower had been flying under a Visual Line of Sight permit which required a trained operator on site.

Under the most recent European drone legislation, the ILT permit can be used as the basis for a cross-border application in order to fly in any other European country. The EU legislation and recent permit will help enable rapid deployments of Kitepower systems in places where portable power is needed.