GERMANY is set to build the world’s tallest wind turbine that will surpass the height of the Shard.
Incredible plans have been revealed for the power generator that will stand 1,200ft tall and generate twice as much energy as existing turbines.
A German energy company has proposed the structure after gathering data on a 1000ft-tall mast that was erected at Schipkau in south Berlin 12 months ago.
The research team found that the sky-high turbine could generate more than twice the yield normal turbines produce with the same rotors.
Jochen Grossmann, managing partner at the firm that operates the mast, said: “Compared to normal turbines with the same rotor diameter, we have more than twice the yield.”
But plans for the tallest power generator have already drawn severe criticism from locals in the area and nature conservation groups who warned the turbine is going to kill more birds and bats.
The massive rotor blades on wind turbines generate an immense amount of negative pressure, sucking everything in that flies around.
And the larger the size of the blades, the greater the effect.
Björn Ellner, chairman of the Nature And Biodiversity Conservation Union, said: “The higher the turbines, the higher the risk of collision [with birds].
“The red kite [bird species] looks down in flight to detect prey. Since there are no natural barriers at its altitude, its flight behaviour is not adapted to obstacles standing around in the landscape.”
However, the operating company claims the production of such wind turbines could greatly help with the country’s power consumption as one single turbine could supply 8,000 households with energy.
It also says that the new structures could be added to existing wind farms, slotting in between shorter turbines.
“The masts are so high that the rotors do not overlap and take the wind away from each other,” Grossmann explained.
Germany’s tallest wind turbine is expected to be built by the end of this year and will be a distinct, cage-like design, unlike anything that exists today.
And the company plans to erect 1,000 such giant turbines across Germany, with a particular focus on the state of Bavaria.
In 2017, Germany was home to the world’s largest wind turbine of the time.
Built by Bögl Wind AG, the central hub of the structure measured 808ft including the rotor blades.
Currently, the world’s tallest wind turbine stands at 919ft in Denmark.
Considered to be the most powerful wind energy generator, the Vestas V236-15.0 MW has a wind-swept area of 470,845 square feet.
It comes as Dubai is getting ready to build the world’s tallest residential clock tower in a nod to London’s Big Ben.
The immense building will stand at a staggering 450 metres high (1,476ft) – almost five times higher than its 96-metre British counterpart.
Aeternitas Tower, dubbed ‘London Gate’, will be the child product of Dubai-based real estate developer London Gate and Swiss luxury watch manufacturer Franck Muller.
The sky-high tower will have a glistening all-glass facade with an enormous clock at the very top.
Measuring 40 metres tall by 30 metres wide, the clock will be built in Germany and be visible from miles away.
Following the Swiss watchmaker’s art-deco style, the clock will feature irregular squashed and stretched numbers.
