NTT, a global technology company, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), an industrial firm, have conducted an optical wireless power transmission experiment using a laser beam to wirelessly transmit energy 1 km away.

By irradiating the laser beam with an optical power of 1 kW, they succeeded in receiving 152 W of electric power 1 km away.

This marks the highest efficiency of optical wireless power transmission using a silicon photoelectric conversion element in an environment with strong atmospheric turbulence.

This result demonstrates the feasibility of delivering power to distant sites. In the future, it is expected to be applied to on-demand power transmission to remote islands and disaster-stricken areas where power cables cannot be installed.

Optical wireless power transmission technology generally has low efficiency and improving this is a critical issue for practical use.

In this experiment, NTT’s beam-shaping technology was combined with MHI’s light-receiving technology to enhance the efficiency of laser wireless power transmission.

 The experiment was conducted on the runway at Nanki-Shirahama Airport in Shirahama Town, Nishimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture, from January to February 2025.