Aiming for 365 metres - start of structural engineering work on the GICON® high altitude wind tower

Klettwitz, 16 July 2025 - A new phase begins on the construction site of the world's tallest wind turbine: structural engineering work on the GICON® high-rise wind tower (GICON®-HWT). With a planned total height of 365 metres, it will be the second tallest structure in Germany - and with its hub height of 300 metres, the tallest wind turbine in the world.

The Klettwitz site in the district of Oberspreewald-Lausitz was once the centre of fossil energy production. Today, a lighthouse project for the energy transition is being built here - literally. The GICON® high-altitude wind tower uses wind at a height of 300 metres - where it blows much stronger and more evenly. The result in series production: twice the electricity yield compared to conventional turbines with the same rotor diameter.

The GICON® high-altitude wind tower pushes the boundaries of wind energy. It makes economically viable what was previously hidden at unattainable heights - strong, steady wind. We are thus creating new opportunities for green electricity production, even at locations with low wind levels in the previously utilised height ranges," explains Prof. Jochen Großmann, founder and Managing Director of GICON®.

With over 2,000 tonnes of steel used and 22,000 individual parts, the lattice tower is an engineering masterpiece. Proven, commercially available components are being used - a conscious decision to enable subsequent series production in a cost-efficient manner and with the involvement of local companies. The 3.8 MW turbine to be installed by VENSYS is expected to generate at least around 18 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year - enough for around 6,000 households.  

The GICON® high-altitude wind tower is a central component of the GICON® hybrid power plant concept. This innovative energy system combines the generation of solar energy with wind energy at two altitudes: At lower altitudes with conventional wind turbines and at a height of 300 metres with the GICON®-HWT, which taps into previously unused high-altitude wind. This means that existing wind farms can be retrofitted with high-altitude wind towers and utilised on two levels - additional yield without additional land consumption. Complemented by large-scale photovoltaics, a triple utilisation of space is created, which massively increases the energy potential and leads to the GICON® hybrid power plant.  

The GICON®-HWT provides the largely weather-independent component, as the high-altitude wind blows constantly and stably - even when there is a lull near the ground. In combination, the components of the GICON® hybrid power plant enable more consistent and efficient green power generation throughout the year - a real step forward for the regional energy supply and a key to the successful energy transition.

The project was made possible by funding from the Federal Agency for Leap Innovations (SPRIND), which commissioned the construction through its subsidiary beventum GmbH. "Leap innovations need courage, perseverance and partners with real implementation strength. In GICON® we have found exactly this partner," says Dr Martin Chaumet, Project Manager at SPRIND.  

Commissioning of the GICON® HWT is planned for summer 2026.