Yes—but the record needs a precise label. The Winnberg project near Sengenthal, Bavaria, has a standing Vestas V172-7.2 MW turbine on a 199-metre Max Bögl hybrid tower. Its 285-metre total height makes it the tallest serial-produced onshore wind turbine described as standing in Max Bögl’s 8 September 2026 announcement. Commissioning was planned for autumn 2026, so “standing” and “operating” are not interchangeable.
What Germany’s new wind-turbine record actually measures
“Largest wind turbine” can refer to several different measurements. Winnberg’s claim is primarily about height: 285 metres from the foundation to the blade’s highest reach, with the nacelle at a 199-metre hub height. It is not a claim that the machine has the world’s highest rated output or the largest rotor.
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- Total height: 285 metres at Winnberg, including the rotor’s highest point.
- Hub height: 199 metres, the height of the rotor’s centre.
- Nameplate capacity: 7.2 MW, the turbine’s rated electrical output.
- Status: Max Bögl described the structure as standing; commissioning was scheduled for the weeks after the September 2026 announcement.
The tower is a Max Bögl hybrid design carrying a Vestas V172-7.2 MW turbine. Max Bögl Group CEO Stefan Bögl called the project “the first-ever construction of a serial-produced wind tower with a hub height of 199 meters.” Vestas technology executive Phillip Seibel said the project demonstrates that the V172-7.2 MW can be integrated with innovative tower systems to reach greater hub heights.
How Winnberg compares with other German projects
| Project | Status and setting | Total height | Hub height | Rotor diameter | Capacity | What the figure describes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winnberg, Max Bögl/Vestas | Standing; commissioning planned for autumn 2026; onshore | 285 m | 199 m | Not stated in the announcement | 7.2 MW | One serial-produced onshore turbine |
| GICON high-altitude wind tower, Klettwitz | Planned development and construction project; onshore | 365 m | 300 m | Not stated | 3.8 MW VENSYS turbine specified | Proposed single turbine, not a completed operating record |
| He Dreiht, EnBW | Operating offshore wind farm project; offshore | Not stated | 142 m | 236 m | 64 turbines at 15.0 MW each; 960 MW total | An entire wind farm, not one turbine |
| Nordex N175/6.X order | Planned installation in 2027; onshore | Not stated | 199 m | Not stated | 7 MW nominal output per turbine | Three planned turbines using 199-metre hybrid towers |
Winnberg: the completed-structure record
Winnberg is near Sengenthal in Bavaria. Max Bögl’s September 2026 statement says the hybrid tower had been constructed and the turbine was standing. The same statement planned commissioning for autumn 2026, which means the available status does not establish that it was already producing electricity at the time of the announcement.
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After commissioning, Max Bögl expected annual generation of approximately 17–18 million kWh. That is a forward-looking project estimate, not a measured operating result. The unusually tall hub is intended to place the rotor in stronger and more consistent inland winds, according to Max Bögl.
Why GICON’s 365-metre design is not yet the operating record
GICON’s 16 July 2025 announcement describes a proposed high-altitude wind tower at Klettwitz with a 300-metre hub height and 365-metre total height. Those dimensions exceed Winnberg’s, but the announcement describes development and planned construction rather than a finished, commissioned machine. It should therefore be reported as a planned taller project, not as Germany’s completed or operating tallest turbine.
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GICON specifies a lattice tower containing more than 2,000 tonnes of steel and 22,000 individual parts. Its design uses a 3.8 MW VENSYS turbine and forecasts at least about 18 million kWh of annual generation—enough for around 6,000 households, according to the developer. These are GICON specifications and projections, not independently audited production figures. GICON founder and managing director Jochen Großmann describes the concept as one that “pushes the boundaries of wind energy.”
The offshore comparison is about scale, not tower height
EnBW’s He Dreiht is Germany’s largest offshore wind farm, with 64 Vestas V236-15.0 MW turbines and 960 MW of installed output. Each turbine has a 142-metre hub height and a 236-metre rotor diameter. EnBW lists expected annual production of 3.6 billion kWh for the whole farm.
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That makes He Dreiht far larger as an electricity-generating project than Winnberg, but it does not make one of its turbines taller. A wind farm’s total capacity and a single turbine’s physical height answer different questions.
How unusual is a 285-metre onshore turbine in Germany?
German wind projects are getting both taller and more powerful, although Winnberg remains well above the recent national averages. FA Wind und Solar’s report for turbines commissioned in 2025 gives these averages:
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| Measure | Average for turbines commissioned in Germany in 2025 |
|---|---|
| Generator capacity | 5.46 MW |
| Rotor diameter | 151 m |
| Hub height | 146 m |
| Total height | 222 m |
Projects permitted in 2025 were larger still: average capacity was 6.3 MW and the mean rotor diameter exceeded 160 metres. These are fleet averages, not limits on individual projects, and they show why a 199-metre hub and 285-metre overall height represent an extreme point on the current onshore trend.
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Wind speed generally becomes stronger and steadier higher above the ground, especially at inland sites where turbulence and surface friction can reduce output near lower elevations. Max Bögl presents Winnberg’s 199-metre hub as a way to reach better wind conditions. GICON makes a similar developer claim for its proposed 300-metre hub.
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Greater height also brings engineering and permitting costs. A taller tower requires more material, specialized transport and erection equipment, detailed structural analysis, and a site that can accommodate the construction process. The record therefore reflects a trade-off: access to better wind conditions versus a more demanding tower and installation project.
What may come next
Winnberg is not the only project using a 199-metre hub. Nordex has announced its first order for three N175/6.X turbines on 199-metre hybrid towers, with installation planned for 2027. Each turbine is specified at 7 MW nominal output. This does not change the Winnberg height record, but it indicates that very tall hybrid towers are moving beyond a single demonstration into additional commercial orders.
Quick Recap
How to answer the common versions of the question
- Is Germany home to the world’s tallest wind turbine? Germany is home to the 285-metre Winnberg machine, described as the world’s tallest serial-produced onshore wind turbine in Max Bögl’s September 2026 announcement.
- What is Germany’s tallest wind turbine? The Winnberg Vestas V172-7.2 MW on a 199-metre hybrid tower, reaching 285 metres total height.
- Is the 365-metre GICON turbine already the record holder? No. The cited GICON announcement describes a planned project, not a completed and commissioned turbine.
- Is the record about power or rotor size? No. Winnberg’s distinction is height. He Dreiht has a larger project capacity, and its turbines have a stated 236-metre rotor diameter, but those are different measures.
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