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365m German wind turbine becomes world’s tallest
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GICON is assembling a 365-metre high-altitude wind turbine at Klettwitz in Germany’s Lusatia region that will be the world’s tallest and is due to enter service in autumn 2026, as first reported by Euronews. The structure sits on the reclaimed spoil heaps of a former lignite mine and uses height to reach steadier, stronger winds; GICON founder Jochen Großmann says that higher placement can more than double output compared with neighbouring, lower machines. Climbers on the tower were working around 160 metres above ground while Europe’s largest crane installed a heavy tower segment.
“Because the wind blows stronger and more steadily the further I get from the Earth’s surface,”
Jochen Großmann
Key takeaways
- Height: The GICON high-altitude wind turbine under construction in Klettwitz will rise 365 metres above ground level.
- Site: The turbine stands on the spoil heaps of a former lignite mine in Klettwitz, in Germany’s Lusatia region.
- Work in progress: Climbers were working at about 160 metres above ground while a large crane lifted a tower segment weighing many tonnes.
- GICON rollout plans: GICON plans 100 high-altitude windmills by the early 2030s, with a later target to scale to 1,000 plants and a suggested retrofit potential of 4,000 additional turbines across Germany.
Table of contents
Why GICON is building higher-topped turbines
GICON’s approach rests on a simple aerodynamic fact: wind speed and steadiness increase with height above the surface, and power available to a rotor rises with the cube of wind speed. Jochen Großmann, GICON’s founder, argues that placing rotors two storeys apart lets a single site tap stronger winds at the top and usable flow lower down, increasing per-area output compared with standard machines. Großmann estimates higher machines can generate more than double the output of nearby turbines and even suggests a retrofit strategy that could triple yield on some sites; those performance claims are his engineering estimates rather than independently measured results.
The Klettwitz tower is therefore a test of that idea in operational conditions. Building at 365 metres changes load cases, material choices and installation logistics: components face higher gusts, longer blade tip speeds and more demanding fatigue cycles than conventional windmills. That is why the project emphasises engineering, climber teams and heavy‑lift cranes during assembly.
Project scale, timeline and the on-the-ground build
The machine in Klettwitz is due to be operational this autumn of 2026 and is being erected with large-scale construction methods: Europe’s biggest crane lifted a heavy tower segment into place while specialist climbers worked around 160 metres up the structure. The site sits among other new solar and wind installations on the former open-cast mine, converting a landscape once scarred by bucket-wheel excavators.
Beyond this prototype, GICON told the visiting journalist that the firm plans 100 high-altitude windmills by the early 2030s and aims to scale to 1,000 plants within a few years after that. The company also describes a retrofit opportunity it estimates as 4,000 additional high-altitude turbines across German wind farms, and it reports enquiries from Asia including China as evidence of international interest. Those rollout numbers are GICON’s stated targets and should be treated as company plans rather than delivered orders.
Klettwitz and Lusatia: a coal region becoming a testbed
Klettwitz lies at the heart of Lusatia, where decades of lignite mining reshaped the terrain. The bucket‑wheel excavators that once gouged the pits are gone and the reclaimed spoil heaps now host solar arrays and wind farms. The new high‑altitude tower stands out among those installations, deliberately sited where infrastructure and grid connections from the coal era can be reused.
The build is also practical proof for a key policy ambition in Germany: replacing coal with renewables while using existing industrial sites. The presence of a large crane and climbers assembling heavy segments shows the project’s focus on industrial-scale construction methods rather than small experimental rigs. The tower’s parts are heavy — a segment described by on-site reporting as weighing many tonnes — and their installation requires specialist lifting and access work.
International interest and the limits of the claim
GICON frames the Klettwitz build as proof-of-concept for an exportable model: the company says enquiries have come from Asia and that China is among the countries asking about the technology. If the performance estimates hold in independent measurements, taller turbines could change siting economics where land is constrained or where retrofitting is feasible.
However, the path from a single 365‑metre machine to thousands of units raises distinct challenges. Scaling to 1,000 plants depends on serialised manufacture, supply chains for very large components, grid integration and approval by local planners. The higher the tower, the more complex the engineering and the longer the construction schedules; those are practical constraints rather than policy statements and will determine how many of GICON’s early targets are realised.
| Item | Figure or claim | Status / note |
|---|---|---|
| Prototype tower height | 365 metres | Under construction; due operational this autumn 2026 |
| Working height during assembly | About 160 metres | Climbers were observed assembling sections at this height |
| Near-term rollout target | 100 high-altitude windmills | Planned by the early 2030s (GICON target) |
| Longer-term scale target | 1,000 plants | GICON target to follow the 100-unit phase |
| Retrofit potential in Germany | 4,000 additional turbines | GICON estimate for existing wind farms |
How this could play out
The case for
- Higher rotor elevation gives access to steadier winds, which by physics can produce substantially more energy per rotor if structural and control solutions work as intended.
- GICON’s stated rollout targets — 100 by the early 2030s and subsequently 1,000 — create a clear industrial pathway if demand and supply chains align.
- Reusing former mining sites such as Klettwitz reduces new land‑take and taps existing grid infrastructure, accelerating deployment in regions transitioning from coal.
The case against
- Engineering and construction complexity rises with height: larger cranes, heavier segments and more demanding fatigue management increase technical risk during assembly and operation.
- Company targets for 1,000 plants and 4,000 retrofit turbines are company estimates and depend on permitting, financing and independent validation of the claimed yield improvements.
- Exporting the concept faces varied regulatory regimes and grid-connection constraints in other countries, which could slow international roll-out.
What to be careful about
- Assembly risk from heavy lifts and working at height: climbers and large cranes operating around 160 metres present acute operational hazards during construction.
- Performance claims are stated by Jochen Großmann and remain estimates until validated by independent generation data from the operational prototype.
- Scaling targets (100, then 1,000) depend on untested serial manufacturing steps and supply‑chain readiness for very large turbine components.
The bottom line
The Klettwitz tower will be a practical test of whether very tall, high‑altitude wind turbines can deliver the yield gains GICON describes. The 365‑metre prototype, working crews at about 160 metres and heavy‑lift assembly show the engineering challenge is substantial. GICON’s rollout targets — 100 by the early 2030s, then 1,000 — and a claimed 4,000‑unit retrofit potential set a clear commercial aim, but independent performance data after commissioning and the practicalities of serial manufacture will determine whether the concept moves from a striking singular structure to a widely adopted technology.
What to watch
- Watch for confirmation of the turbine’s commissioning date; GICON has said the machine will be operational this autumn but no firm day has been published.
- Watch for GICON announcements on the timing and contracts for its planned rollout of 100 high-altitude windmills by the early 2030s; no specific procurement dates have been set.
- Watch for independent generation data from the Klettwitz prototype after commissioning, which will be needed to validate the company’s estimate that taller placements can more than double output.
Frequently asked questions
Why build a wind turbine 365 metres tall?
GICON says higher elevation reaches stronger, steadier winds and therefore makes more power: founder Jochen Großmann estimates machines up high can generate more than double the output of nearby lower turbines. That physics is why the Klettwitz tower is being tested at 365 metres.
Where is the tower located and why there?
The prototype stands in Klettwitz in Germany’s Lusatia region on reclaimed spoil heaps from a former lignite mine, allowing reuse of infrastructure and grid connections while avoiding new land take.
What are GICON’s deployment targets?
GICON has stated a plan for 100 high-altitude windmills by the early 2030s and an ambition to scale to 1,000 plants thereafter, and it has suggested a retrofit potential of 4,000 additional turbines across Germany; these are company targets rather than confirmed orders.
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