The world's tallest wind turbine has been completed in Schipkau, eastern Germany. The GICON pilot stands 365 meters (1,197 feet) tall, with its rotor hub 300 meters above the ground. That makes it Germany's second-tallest structure, behind Berlin's TV tower.
GICON says winds at that altitude are stronger and more consistent, so the turbine could generate roughly twice as much electricity over time as a conventional turbine with the same rotor diameter. The turbine's rated capacity is 3.8 megawatts, with future versions planned to exceed 7 MW. The projected doubling refers to energy produced over time, not a doubling of rated power.
To avoid needing a crane that could reach the full height, GICON used a telescoping tower. A specialized lifting system raised the inner tower through the surrounding lattice structure and secured it in place. The project was built for Germany's Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation (SPRIND), and commissioning is planned for November.
GICON and SPRIND also envision adding high-altitude turbines as a "second tier" above conventional wind farms, potentially up to 4,000 units across Germany's existing sites. That figure is an estimate of what might be possible, not an announced construction pipeline. The Schipkau turbine is still a pilot, and its projected energy yield has yet to be demonstrated in operation.