Wind Turbine to be Almost Same Height as Empire State Building
- 36 minutes ago
- 2 min read
World's tallest wind turbine is being built in Germany's former coal mining region.
Whilst both Europe and China have been building wind turbines with ever larger blade sweeps (for good reason), their height has been a function for allowing such gargantuan blades to rotate without hitting the ground (or sea). Currently, the largest rotor diameter is 310m (1,017 ft), corresponding to a swept area of 14.1 NFL football fields or 60 Olympic pools.
The concept in Germany is different. Winds are stronger and more consistent at higher altitudes, allowing for twice as much energy to be produced. So, height rather than blade sweep is the key.
"This will help us to become independent of oil and gas from other regions of the world," says Germany's Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider.
Once completed, the turbine will be 360m high (1,181 ft), equivalent to a 100-storey building. It will be the tallest structure in western Europe. 11m taller than London's Shard and just 20m shorter than the roof height of New York's Empire State Building.
You might be wondering how a structure as narrow and free standing as a turbine can possibly be built this high. Conventional cranes are clearly not up to the task. So, engineers have come up with a clever (patented) telescopic device. The turbine will initially reach a height of 150 metres, then the telescopic device comes into play - as the video below demonstrates.
If all goes to plan, the wind power giant should be connected to the grid towards the end of 2026 and is expected to supply approximately 7,500 four-person households with electricity.