Germany’s New 365-Meter Wind Turbine Surpasses Eiffel Tower in Push for Clean Energy

SCHIPKAU, Germany — A colossal wind turbine, described by its developers as the world’s tallest, rises 365 meters (1,197 feet) above the landscape of eastern Germany, surpassing the height of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

The massive structure has been erected at an existing wind farm in Lusatia, located southeast of Berlin. Once a hub for lignite mining, the region has increasingly embraced renewable energy in recent years. The prototype reached its full height this week and is scheduled for an official inauguration in mid-November.

Jochen Grossmann, chief executive of Gircon, the Dresden-based engineering firm behind the tower, explained that the design harnesses the stronger, more consistent winds found at greater altitudes. Conventional wind turbines typically feature a hub height—the distance from the ground to the rotor center—of well under 200 meters (656 feet).

“At 300 meters, we experience such constant and powerful winds that we can generate more than twice the electrical energy compared to the same facility at current heights,” Grossmann stated on Thursday. He noted that the turbine would also be capable of producing electricity for a much larger portion of the year than existing models.

The turbine features a hub height of 300 meters (984 feet), with its rotor blades extending to a total height of 365 meters. This surpasses the Eiffel Tower, which stands at 330 meters (1,083 feet), and falls just short of Berlin’s television tower, Germany’s tallest structure at 368 meters (1,207 feet).

Construction is not yet fully complete, with internal wiring still pending ahead of its planned inauguration on November 19. The prototype is designed to measure the potential benefits of constructing turbines at such extreme heights.

Gicon plans to utilize these findings to develop a wind farm featuring three to five extra-tall turbines, paving the way for potential mass production.

Grossmann also views these giant turbines as a viable solution to the ongoing shortage of suitable land for wind farms. Existing sites could be upgraded into “two-story” wind farms that combine shorter and taller turbines, while new sites could be designed with this dual-height configuration from the outset.

Germany has long been working to expand its use of wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources. The country shut down its last nuclear power plants in 2023 as part of a long-planned transition, though energy prices surged following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Germany also aims to cease electricity generation from coal by 2038.

According to the Federal Statistical Office, renewable sources accounted for 59.1% of Germany’s energy production in the first half of 2026, with wind power being the largest single contributor at 29.4%.

Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.

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