Why Is Germany Building the World’s Tallest Wind Turbine? (365 Meters)

Currently, a common way to obtain more wind energy is to build much larger wind turbines by increasing blade length. Another approach is to build very tall wind turbines.

Wind farm in Brandenburg. Photo: APA

The world's largest wind turbines are about 150 meters tall. A new wind turbine is expected to double that height, Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ) reported on April 15.

German engineer Horst Bendix came up with the idea in the late 1990s. His hypothesis was that a turbine at greater height could generate twice as much energy.

To test the theory, Gicon installed the world's tallest wind measurement mast last year. It stands 300 meters high.

According to Gicon, data from the wind measurement tower was very promising and even exceeded expectations. Forecasts suggest that a turbine 300 meters high would produce 60–70 percent more energy than the same turbine at a conventional height.

The world's tallest wind turbine is located in Brandenburg. The first factory to produce high-altitude wind turbines will also be built there. The project initiators are still awaiting the remaining construction permits.

Once issued and the turbine is built, its total height (from the ground to the rotor) should reach 365 meters, making it the tallest wind turbine in the world. Total costs, including development and construction, are estimated at 20–30 million euros.

The turbine is expected to generate electricity for more than 20 years after commissioning. But the project sponsors do not plan to stop there: they aim to build 1000 such tall turbines in Germany over the next 10 years. Together, they could meet 5% of the country's total electricity demand.

For the plan to succeed within 10 years, bureaucratic obstacles must be removed. The proposed approach is to install tall turbines primarily at existing wind farms. An additional structure would effectively be added to the existing facilities, increasing turbine height.

Other countries, including Brazil, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, are also interested in tall wind turbines. With all the wind we have, perhaps we should build higher too =)

Source: https://overclockers.ru/