The tallest wind turbines in the world are currently being erected in northeast Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The rotors of the turbines are designed to reach up to higher air layers where there is a greater chance of beneficial wind conditions.
The Max Bögl Group is erecting four 240-meter turbines using a Liebherr LTM 11200-9.1 all-terrain crane. Once finished, the turbines that will stand on enormous water basins, which will be used as water storage facilities along with the 40-meter-tall tower foundations. The turbines will be able to generate additional electricity when demand is high through its combination with a pump accumulator power plant in nearby Kocher Valley.
Currently the active basins, which consist of 27 pre-stressed concrete rings, are being constructed where the wind turbines will later be erected. The enormous concrete rings are supplied in four individual segments which are assembled on site and stressed using steel cables. The finished component has a diameter of 16 meters and is 1.5 meters high.
Fitted with 202 tonnes of ballast, the Liebherr LTM 11200-9.1 mobile crane is hoisting the massive components onto each other. The nine-axle crane is handling a load of over 90 tonnes for this purpose.
The LTM 11200-9.1 will then place some of the turbine towers on the 40-meter reservoir and also will assemble the Liebherr 630 EC-H 70 top-slewing tower crane that is required to complete the job on the tower. This self-climbing crane will reach a hook height of around 190 meters above the ground. The four wind turbines are due to go onto the grid before the end of 2017, and the pump accumulator system will be in service by the end of 2018.
