World’s tallest wind turbine faces key construction test with 300-metre nacelle and blade lift

The construction of the world’s tallest wind turbine in eastern Germany faces a decisive step on Sunday 20 September, when the nacelle and rotor blades will be lifted to a height of 300 metres if weather conditions permit the operation, reports t-online. 

Including the blades, the wind turbine in Schipkau, in the eastern state of Brandenburg, is set to be 365 metres tall, almost exactly the same height as Berlin’s iconic TV tower. Schipkau lies roughly 115 kilometres south of Berlin.

Higher wind speeds and better distribution at this altitude will allow more full-load hours, according toproject developer Gicon. Founder Jochen Großmann has previously argued that conditions are comparable to offshore wind turbines, but with much lower onshore construction and maintenance costs. 

Taller turbines are widely seen as key to unlocking more onshore wind capacity in many countries including Germany, where suitable sites are limited. Gicon has said high-altitude turbines could eventually be deployed in low-wind regions that have so far not been economical for wind power production.

Following measurements on a 300-metre-high tower at the same site in the lignite mining region Lusatia, Gicon said the height will increase wind energy yield by 40 percent, which equates to twice as much electricity yield with the same rotor diameter. The wind turbine features a design involving a lattice structure with four legs, reminiscent of electricity pylons and the Eiffel Tower in Paris. 

If everything works according to the plans, a crane will lift the nacelle, rotor hub and blades onto a platform at a height of 165 metres, the article says.

Once everything is assembled, the entire structure – which will weigh 750 tonnes including a movable inner tower – will be moved upwards using a hydraulic lifting system more commonly used in heavy-duty logistics and bridge construction.

This complicated process is necessary because the destination at a height of 300 metres is out of reach for cranes.

The project is attracting much international interest, with Chinese and Indian delegations visiting the construction site, the article said.

Clean Energy Wire. Reproduced with permission.