Energy giant Shell has been revealed as the partner of a Google-owned kite wind developer.
US firm Makani, owned by parent company Alphabet, has announced it will now look to expand the technology offshore.
The energy kites developed by Makani will look to gather wind from previously unexploited offshore wind sectors.
Testing is to begin off the coast of Norway in late 2019.
The technology differs from most offshore fixed-bottom and floating wind structures in that it can operate without the need for a large platform or base.
The wind kites will be mounted on small buoys and floated out to see.
Fort Felker, chief executive of Makani, said: “This is possible because Makani’s kites are 90% lighter than turbines of a similar power rating and the overall system is smaller, replacing tons of steel with lightweight electronics and smart software, which reduces overall costs.
“Adapting Makani’s energy kite technology to offshore environments is an exciting technical challenge, and we’ll be drawing on Shell’s extensive engineering and operational expertise with floating structures to make this transition.
“We plan to kick off testing of this new floating offshore system with demonstrations in Norway later this year, and we’re developing additional partnerships to help us bring Makani’s commercial system to life.”