Project developer VSB and German manufacturer Nordex Group have commissioned a N149 turbine with a height of almost 239 metres at Pustleben in the Thuringia region of Germany.
The 4.5MW turbine (pictured) is 238.5-metres high and has a rotor diameter of 149 metres.
It features a Ventur tower with an octagonal ground plan, which is composed of precast concrete parts and steel.
The steel tube segments are installed at 104 metres to give the hybrid tower a total combined hub height of 164 metres.
Nordex said the electricity generation costs of the plant are lower than those of lignite-fired power plants due to the turbine’s dimensions.
The turbine can use high-yielding air layers and optimally exploit the full potential of the medium wind location, it added.
It has a maximum nominal output of 4.5MW at wind speeds of 11.5 metres per second, Nordex said.
“Thanks to its height, the modern turbine can use higher-yielding air layers and optimally exploit the full potential of the medium wind location that is Pustleben,” the company said.
“The optimal conditions for this turbine at exactly this location generate the highest possible annual energy yield, resulting in lower cost of energy production,” it added.
The turbine in the municipality of Mitteldorf complements the Wipperdorf wind farm, which VSB commissioned in 2017.
VSB Neue Energien Deutschland project developer Katja Felkl said: “With the support of the community, we have found an optimal solution for citizens and locations.
“Roads and cable routes have also been planned in such a way that is optimal for local farmers.
“In addition, the N149/4.0-4.5 is not only one of the most modern and efficient onshore systems, the rotor blades also rotate on average only half as fast as those of smaller wind turbines.”
SB Neue Energien Deutschland managing director Uwe Kaltenborn said: “With the N149 from Nordex, we are using a high-quality, state-of-the-art wind turbine, which, due to its dimensions, enables a significantly higher yield than smaller, older models.
“This enables us to make optimum use of wind energy at the site. Our project in Pustleben impressively proves that the development towards larger hub heights and rotor diameters makes it possible to operate wind turbines efficiently even at locations far from the coast, in central and southern Germany.
“This means that the conditions are in place for these regions to make an even stronger contribution to the energy transition.”