Heavy-Lift Tethered Balloon Carries Power Tower Materials to High-Altitude Ridge in Xizang
30 Sep 2026
A tethered balloon capable of lifting two tonnes successfully completed a trial in Xizang on September 21, carrying two tonnes of transmission tower materials to a steep ridge at an altitude of 4,000 meters. The trial demonstrated a new way to transport heavy construction materials to remote mountain sites while reducing the need for access roads.
Developed by the State Grid Electric Power Engineering Research Institute with support from the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (AIRCAS), the balloon is China's first tethered balloon with a two-tonne payload capacity. It measures 25 meters in diameter and has a volume of 8,000 cubic meters, standing roughly as tall as an eight-story building. AIRCAS contributed expertise in airship and balloon design, structural development and flight control.
The trial took place along a test section of the Xizang–Guangdong ultra-high-voltage direct-current transmission project. Located in remote mountains above 4,000 meters, the section includes tower sites on steep ridges with no road access. Building access roads would be costly and disturb the surrounding ecosystem, while steep terrain makes cableway installation difficult. Transporting materials has therefore been a major constraint on construction.
The balloon uses cables connected to ground-based control equipment to guide its movement. Designed to address instability and course deviations in strong winds, the system can automatically pick up and release tower materials, transferring loads between designated locations.
Compared with conventional cableways, the tethered balloon offers more flexible deployment, fewer terrain constraints and faster relocation between work sites. It also offers greater payload capacity and longer airborne endurance than drones, making it suitable for mountainous areas with large elevation differences, dense vegetation and limited options for cableway construction. By reducing the need for temporary transport infrastructure, it can help limit disturbance to local ecosystems.
The successful trial expands the use of tethered balloons beyond observation and communications to the transport of heavy, bulky materials, offering an additional option for power grid construction in challenging mountain environments.
The heavy-lift tethered balloon carries power tower materials to high-altitude ridge in Xizang. (Image by AIRCAS)
Research News
Heavy-Lift Tethered Balloon Carries Power Tower Materials to High-Altitude Ridge in Xizang
A tethered balloon capable of lifting two tonnes successfully completed a trial in Xizang on September 21, carrying two tonnes of transmission tower materials to a steep ridge at an altitude of 4,000 meters. The trial demonstrated a new way to transport heavy construction materials to remote mountain sites while reducing the need for access roads.
Developed by the State Grid Electric Power Engineering Research Institute with support from the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (AIRCAS), the balloon is China's first tethered balloon with a two-tonne payload capacity. It measures 25 meters in diameter and has a volume of 8,000 cubic meters, standing roughly as tall as an eight-story building. AIRCAS contributed expertise in airship and balloon design, structural development and flight control.
The trial took place along a test section of the Xizang–Guangdong ultra-high-voltage direct-current transmission project. Located in remote mountains above 4,000 meters, the section includes tower sites on steep ridges with no road access. Building access roads would be costly and disturb the surrounding ecosystem, while steep terrain makes cableway installation difficult. Transporting materials has therefore been a major constraint on construction.
The balloon uses cables connected to ground-based control equipment to guide its movement. Designed to address instability and course deviations in strong winds, the system can automatically pick up and release tower materials, transferring loads between designated locations.
Compared with conventional cableways, the tethered balloon offers more flexible deployment, fewer terrain constraints and faster relocation between work sites. It also offers greater payload capacity and longer airborne endurance than drones, making it suitable for mountainous areas with large elevation differences, dense vegetation and limited options for cableway construction. By reducing the need for temporary transport infrastructure, it can help limit disturbance to local ecosystems.
The successful trial expands the use of tethered balloons beyond observation and communications to the transport of heavy, bulky materials, offering an additional option for power grid construction in challenging mountain environments.
The heavy-lift tethered balloon carries power tower materials to high-altitude ridge in Xizang. (Image by AIRCAS)