Ematec yoke enables blade installation on ‘world’s tallest’ wind turbine

At the GICON high-altitude wind tower, the steel lattice structure surrounding the hub left far less clearance than a conventional tubular tower, the blades had to be manoeuvred at angles of up to 30 degrees to avoid striking the structure, and the work ran from midday through midnight before all three were in place.

The RBC-D rotor blade yoke from Ematec enabled the safe installation of the rotor blades during construction of the GICON high-altitude wind tower in Schipkau, Brandenburg. Photo: Sylvio Dittrich/Ematec

The installation, completed ahead of the turbine’s planned grid connection in November 2026, relied on the RBC-D rotor blade yoke developed by Ematec. The yoke’s adaptive gripping system handles blades at tilt angles of up to 30 degrees and pitch angles of up to eight degrees, with two counterweights on the yoke arms automatically adjusting to each blade’s centre of gravity.

Site manager Björn Schäfer of wind turbine manufacturer Vensys, who has 33 years of experience in the industry, said no other lifting equipment could have achieved the installation.

“Being able to lift and position the blades at different angles was absolutely crucial to the successful installation,” he said.

The GICON tower uses a multi-part steel and lattice framework rather than a conventional tubular structure. The three rotor blades – each 61.6 metres long and weighing 15 tonnes – were installed at a hub height of approximately 150 metres. After blade installation, the inner tower was telescopically extended to a hub height of 300 metres, bringing the overall structure to 365 metres. The turbine is a Vensys V126 with a rated output of 3.8 MW.

The installation team comprised EZ Wind of Elpersbüttel, Germany, with RBC-D operation handled by specialists from DH Renewables, based in Ireland and Scotland.

GICON, which developed the tower on behalf of Germany’s Federal Agency for Breakthrough Innovation (SPRIND), said each high-altitude wind turbine is expected to generate 30 to 33 GWh of electricity per year — more than twice the output of conventional turbines with the same rotor diameter. GICON is planning future versions with rated outputs exceeding seven MW and says up to 4,000 high-altitude towers could be added to existing German wind farms as a second layer above conventional turbines.

For Ematec, the project follows its announcement earlier this year that the RBC-D is now available as a rental.

The GICON high-altitude wind tower is the world’s tallest wind turbine. The rotor blades were installed at a hub height of 150 metres. The inner tower was then telescopically extended to a hub height of 300 metres. Photo: Liebherr Photo: Sylvio Dittrich/Ematec

Ready for lifting, the rotor blades of Enercon’s E-175 and Ematec’s RBC-D rotor blade yoke are prepped on the ground. Photo: Sylvio Dittrich/Ematec

The rotor blades and yoke ready for the night lift. Photo: Sylvio Dittrich/Ematec

Installing the rotor blades also required working through the night. Photo: Liebherr

Photo: Sylvio Dittrich/Ematec

Blade by blade, Ematec’s RBC-D lifted the rotor blades into position. Photo: Sylvio Dittrich/Ematec

Ematec’s RBC-D holds the 15-tonne Vensys rotor blade securely in its grip. Photo: Sylvio Dittrich/Ematec

The tower’s unusual structure left very little space for installation at the hub. Photo: Sylvio Dittrich/Ematec