Sustainable and innovative engineering services—high-quality and customer-oriented from a single source—this claim forms the core of the GICON® Group's corporate concept. We are currently building the world's tallest wind turbine, the GICON® high altitude wind turbine (GICON®-HWT).
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We are building the world's tallest wind turbine, the GICON® high altitude wind turbine (GICON®-HWT). With a planned total height of 365 meters, it will be the second tallest structure in Germany – and with a hub height of 300 meters, the tallest wind turbine in the world.
The Klettwitz site in the Oberspreewald-Lausitz district was once the center of fossil fuel energy production. Today, it is home to a flagship project of the energy transition – literally. The GICON® high altitude wind turbine harnesses wind at a height of 300 meters – where it blows significantly stronger and more consistently. The result in series production: twice the electricity yield compared to conventional turbines with the same rotor diameter.
"The GICON® high altitude wind turbine is pushing the boundaries of wind energy. It makes economically viable what was previously hidden at unattainable heights – strong, steady wind. This opens up new opportunities for green electricity production, even at locations with low wind speeds in the heights previously used," explains Prof. Jochen Großmann, founder and managing director of GICON®.
With over 2,000 tons of steel and 22,000 individual parts, the lattice tower is an engineering masterpiece. Proven, commercially available components are being used—a conscious decision to enable cost-efficient series production at a later date with the involvement of local companies. The 3.8 MW turbine from VENSYS to be installed is expected to generate at least 18 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year – enough for around 6,000 households.
The GICON® high altitude wind turbine is a central component in the concept of the GICON® hybrid power plant. This innovative energy system combines the generation of solar energy with that of wind energy at two altitude levels: at lower altitudes with conventional wind turbines and at an altitude of 300 meters with the GICON® HWT, which taps into previously unused high-altitude wind. This allows existing wind farms to be retrofitted with high-altitude wind towers and used on two levels – additional yield without additional land consumption. Supplemented by large-scale photovoltaics, this results in triple land use, which massively increases the energy potential and leads to the GICON® hybrid power plant.
The GICON®-HWT provides the component that is largely independent of weather conditions, as the high-altitude wind blows constantly and steadily – even when there is no wind near the ground. Working together, the components of the GICON® hybrid power plant enable more consistent and efficient green power generation throughout the year – a real step forward for regional energy supply and a key to the successful energy transition.
The project is made possible by funding from the Federal Agency for Breakthrough Innovations (SPRIND), which commissioned the construction through its subsidiary beventum GmbH. “Breakthrough innovations require courage, perseverance, and partners with genuine implementation strength. In GICON®, we have found exactly this kind of partner,” says Dr. Martin Chaumet, project manager at SPRIND.
About us:
GICON® has grown into a respected group of consulting companies. Today, we are a group of internationally active consulting and engineering companies with over 600 employees, providing services to our customers in many countries, in different languages, and in accordance with national standards.
Sustainability in the use of resources, energy, and raw materials, as well as responsible risk management in favor of a clean environment and a livable society—both today and in the future—these are the guidelines that shape our daily work and how we understand our service to our customers.
Innovation through research is a trademark of GICON®. As a service provider for our customers and for the further development of the group, we research and develop new processes, products, and services. To this end, we have created a comprehensive network of cooperative relationships with leading research institutions.
