Tao Tech UK Ltd, based in Durham in the North East of England, is engaged in the commercial development and operation of super lightweight variable altitude airships for telecommunications and data transfer – including HAPs (high altitude platforms) also known as pseudo-satellites. The company partners with the international Stuttgart-based Trans Atmospheric Operations (TAO Group).
High altitude platforms (HAPs) are designed to operate in the earth’s stratosphere, at heights of over 20km, as robust unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) capable of providing observation and communication services and equipped to spend lengthy periods aloft – effectively functioning as artificial satellites. They remain aloft through atmospheric lift, using the same aerodynamic principles as aeroplanes, or via the aerostatic means employed generally by airships and balloons. Tao Tech UK’s designs featuring new, regenerative propulsion and innovative energy storage systems are already in operation in active theatres of operation providing development support to military and humanitarian groups, as well as for search and rescue operations and marine and coastal observation.
Integrity testing for new airship hull design
With a new airship hull design carrying 5G-enabled communications systems being developed for low and middle altitude airship platforms, the Tao Tech UK team switched their attentions to how best to test, evaluate and confirm the hull integrity of the new designs.
Already active in communications and surveillance, and research and development for artificial intelligence (AI) applications and optical communications, the team was keen to explore the feasibility of their low and medium altitude technology providing cost-effective backup communication and surveillance systems for environmental monitoring and secure communications for the offshore renewable energy sector.
In November 2024, following successful award of funding from Innovate UK’s Business Growth grant support scheme, the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult’s Technology Development team arranged for access to their 100m blade test facility at the National Renewable Energy Centre in Blyth, Northumberland. One of few appropriate technical facilities capable of housing the large airship, the Tao Tech team was then able to carry out their hull integrity programme with support from ORE Catapult’s in-house team.
Glenn Jones, managing director of Tao Tech UK Ltd explained:
“Working with ORE Catapult has been immensely productive and beneficial, enabling us to perform controlled testing of our new technologies and helping to identify where our technology can positively contribute to the offshore wind market.
“The hull integrity test results exceeded our expectations and this has enabled us to showcase a possible future test location for potential international clients. Working with ORE Catapult has allowed us to move our testing and innovation operations from mainland European locations to the UK, significantly boosting our offering for new and existing clients.”
Daniel Allington, ORE Catapult’s Research Business Development Manager – Strategy & Emerging Technologies added:
“Supporting innovation lies at the core of ORE Catapult’s work and this technology has the potential to deliver significant practical benefits to the wider offshore wind sector.
“The robust communications channels delivered by these 5G-enabled airships could convey a wide range of key operational information – everything from sharing in situ and potentially rapidly-moving, adversely changing weather patterns, to enhanced safety via uninterrupted communications between crew transfer vessels and maintenance personnel working on turbines, and robust, secure data transfer of performance monitoring and reliability tracking information.”
Future plans, extending services and support
Glenn Jones continued:
“We also provide test platforms for hi-tech communications and data gathering equipment and so we feel that our technology could help to accelerate the UK’s consenting process, thereby assisting the UK in meeting its 2050 net zero target.
“With 5G non terrestrial communications being pursued for a range of private networks, we forged an alliance with a local and European satellite developer to test key aspects of their technology on our airships.
“We arranged to carry out these developer’s equipment tests in tandem with our trials at ORE Catapult’s Blyth blade test facility, and the successful verification of that developer’s technology has led to a further enquiry from interested parties in the Far East.”
The Tao Tech UK team is now exploring additional business development opportunities for the export market with potential payload partners, with particular focus on novel technologies such as AI. They are also scoping the possibility of establishing a test and manufacturing facility in the UK.