Germany builds world’s tallest wind turbine, reaches nearly 1,200 feet height

A wind turbine standing nearly 1,200 feet tall has reached its full height in eastern Germany, creating a new approach to capturing wind energy at elevations where winds are stronger and more consistent.

Developed by German engineering company GICON for the Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation, or SPRIND, the pilot turbine in Schipkau is designed to test whether going dramatically higher can produce substantially more electricity from the same amount of wind infrastructure.

The structure reaches 1,197 feet, including its blades, making it Germany’s second-tallest structure after Berlin’s TV tower. GICON says the design could eventually generate roughly twice as much electricity as a conventional turbine with the same rotor diameter, although that estimate still needs to be demonstrated in operation.

A wind turbine built to reach higher

The main idea behind GICON’s design is to go where the wind is better. Wind speeds generally increase with altitude, while higher elevations can also provide more consistent wind conditions. Hence, a turbine operating hundreds of meters above the ground has access to a larger and potentially more reliable energy resource than a conventional turbine.

The Schipkau pilot has a rated capacity of 3.8 megawatts, while future versions are expected to exceed 7 MW. The company’s projected doubling in energy output refers to electricity generated over time, rather than the turbine’s maximum rated power.

Reaching that altitude, however, required GICON to rethink how such a turbine could be constructed. Instead of using a conventional crane capable of reaching the top of the tower, the company used a telescoping tower design.

A specialized lifting mechanism raised the inner tower through a surrounding lattice structure before securing it at its final height. GICON founder and CEO Jochen Grosmann described reaching 1,197 feet as a major milestone for the project, which began as a concept before becoming a full-scale pilot facility.

Adding power without new wind farms

One of the more interesting possibilities is that high-altitude turbines could eventually be added to existing wind farms rather than requiring entirely new sites. GICON and SPRIND envision the systems operating as a second tier of wind generation, with the taller turbines positioned above conventional wind turbines. Therefore, their rotors would operate at higher elevations while existing turbines continue generating electricity below.

According to the current assessment, Germany could potentially accommodate as many as 4,000 high-altitude turbines within existing wind farms. If the concept works as expected, that could allow additional electricity generation without expanding wind farms into new areas, while also making better use of existing grid connections and developed wind-energy sites.

While the completion of the structure marks an important achievement, the more important test is still ahead, as official commissioning is planned for November, after the remaining construction work is completed.

Once operational, the turbine will provide the data needed to determine whether the additional height delivers the expected increase in energy production and whether the benefits justify the additional engineering complexity.