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Alphabet cuts the cord on Makani

4C Offshore | Tom Russell
By: Tom Russell 19/02/2020 Makani
Alphabet, the parent company of Google, has rescinded support for its California-based subsidiary Makani, which has been developing energy kites to be deployed in the offshore energy sector. Alphabet stated that, despite technical progress, the road to commercialisation is longer and riskier than hoped.

The California-based company is developing energy kites that use a wing tethered to a ground station to generate energy from the wind. As the kite flies autonomously in loops, rotors on the wing spin as the wind moves through them, generating electricity that is sent down the tether to the grid.

Makani was founded in 2006 and received funding as part of Google.org's Renewable Energy cheaper than Coal initiative. In 2013, Makani Power was acquired by Google and was folded into Google X. In February 2019, Makani was separated from X and made into a subsidiary of Alphabet. At the same time, energy giant Royal Dutch Shell made a minority investment in Makani and began a partnership with the company to develop its business.

Back in August, Makani conducted an autonomous test flight of its energy kite in the North Sea, off Norway. Makani completed two flights from the floating platform. The first quick flight included launch, hover away from the perch, and an autonomous landing. The second, longer-duration test demonstrated crosswind flight.

Makani released a statement outlining that, although it is no longer a part of Alphabet, it still aims to develop the technology for commercial operations with shareholder Shell.


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