In the race of wind turbine supremacy, Europe has pulled ahead—at least for now. Siemens Gamesa has unveiled a record-breaking offshore wind turbine, SG DD-276, in Denmark that not only dwarfs its rivals in scale but also reaffirms the continent’s commitment to clean energy innovation.
Located at the Østerild test field in Denmark, SG DD-276 stretches an astonishing 905 feet (276 meters) from blade tip to blade tip. This mechanical behemoth comes with a rated capacity of 21.5 megawatts, enough to supply electricity to roughly 70,000 Danish homes annually.
What truly makes this turbine a landmark achievement is not just its size, but its potential to offset around 55,454 tons of CO? emissions over its operational life—a clear nod to the climate benefits of large-scale renewable installations.
The project received significant financial backing from the European Union, which contributed €30 million (about US$33 million) under the hilariously acronymed HIPPOW initiative (Highly Innovative Prototype of the most Powerful Offshore Wind). Despite the turbine’s massive scale and complexity, there’s no official word yet on its Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE). For context, Denmark’s offshore wind LCOE in 2018 hovered around €46 per megawatt-hour.
Siemens Gamesa is no newcomer to the scene. The company has been deploying wind turbines since 1991 and played a key role in the world’s first offshore wind farm at Vindeby. The SG DD-276 now becomes their 5,000th turbine, spread across 14 countries with a combined capacity exceeding 27 gigawatts.
But as with all records in the rapidly evolving wind energy sector, this one might not hold for long. China’s Mingyang Smart Energy previously held the crown with its 20 MW MySE18.X turbine, which had unseated Dongfang Electric’s 18 MW machine. And now, both Chinese firms are already plotting their next moves—Dongfang has completed a 26 MW turbine, and Mingyang has plans for a 22 MW model.
With global supply chains tightening, especially for critical minerals and rare earth elements like neodymium, essential for wind turbine magnets, future production may face increased hurdles. Tensions over tariffs between China, the EU, and the US could further complicate access to these key materials, making each innovation a potential flash in the pan.
