Program for Friday 22 June 2012 (a detailed brochure can be downloaded from here):

With average wind speeds of 14 m/s and peaks up to to 17 m/s conditions were close to the technical limit of the prototype system. Clouds of sand were blasted off the dunes, the coal power plant and harbour installations were at times vanishing in a sand storm. Despite the unfavorable conditions, the event started with an inspiring opening speach by Prof.dr. Wubbo Ockels, followed a presentation of the technology and vision by Dr. Roland Schmehl. The participants were then transported from the Slufter building to the demonstration site.

To adapt for the extreme wind conditions, a 14 m2 Genetrix Hydra kite was used in place of the nominal 25 m2 kite. On arrival, this kite was performing fully automatic power cycles between 300 and 800 meters altitude and participants could follow the operation on a large plasma screen in the tents next to the ground station which was mirroring the kite power system's operational status. Because of the strong wind, power output was beyond expectations, with peaks of up to 32kW! Among the visitors was Pieter van Essen, Project Director Port of the Rotterdam Climate Initiative, who was very enthusiastic about the demonstrated system and the possibilities for implementation at the Rotterdam harbor itself in the near future.

After landing the kite all visitors had the opportunity to inspect the complete airborne power train including the bridle system, the mechatronic kite control unit, and the tether. This was the moment to ask questions to the crew members who personally worked on the different components of the system. After launching the kite again all guests were brought back again to the parking lot by the offroad train.

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All in all, the business day was a successful event and showed that the prototype system can operate in automatic mode reliably even under severe wind conditions.

The business day team was: Aart de Wachter, Rolf van der Vlugt, Wubbo Ockels, Roland Schmehl, Uwe Fechner, John van den Heuvel, Sergiy Ulyashyn, Marien Ruppert, Claudius Jehle, Melvin Agten, Robin van Kappel, Filip Saad, Stefan Haug, Antonio Maurer, Rachel Leuthold, Jonathan Ramirez and Rolf Timmermans.