Reference project · Vienna, Austria
Climate-resilient nature conservation on Vienna's Donauinsel: Tritonwasser (W 3009) & Endelteich (W 3012)
On Vienna's world-famous Donauinsel (Danube Island), two of our mechanical wind-powered water pumps are helping to protect the climate. At the roughly two-hectare Tritonwasser, the PE wind-powered water pump W 3009 on a 9-metre lattice tower stops the island's largest artificial pond biotope from tipping over ecologically. Its 3-metre western windmill delivers up to 7,000 litres of water an hour, entirely CO₂-neutral, and feeds it straight into the pond through a 200-metre pipeline.
Following that success, the City of Vienna's water authority Stadt Wien, Wiener Gewässer (MA 45) commissioned a second installation as part of the EU climate project LIFE DICCA: at the ecologically valuable Endelteich in the north of the island, the PE wind-powered water pump W 3012 (12-metre lattice tower, 3-metre wind wheel) safeguards the biological balance for rare amphibians such as the fire-bellied toad and the smooth newt, entirely without electricity, fully automatically and climate-neutrally.
Reference project · Weiterstadt, Hesse
Saving biotopes in the Hessisches Ried: three wind-powered water pumps in Weiterstadt-Schneppenhausen
In response to the increasingly dry summers in the Hessisches Ried region, the town council (Stadt Weiterstadt) has commissioned three mechanical wind-powered water pumps. The pioneering installation on the northern edge of Schneppenhausen (model W 1806) permanently protects a designated clay-pit newt biotope from drying out and is already listed as a walking highlight on outdoor platforms such as Komoot.
A second installation in the "wild west" of Schneppenhausen feeds another watering hole and wetland biotope for insects, birds and amphibians. The major project at the historic Bräuschter Teich pond between Braunshardt and Schneppenhausen is restoring a wetland that had been dry for decades, funded through an environmental project by Škoda Auto Deutschland and erected entirely by volunteers. In a good breeze the installation delivers up to 800 litres of groundwater an hour.
Reference project & installation · Zurich, Switzerland
A spectacular installation in Zurich: erecting the modified PE wind-powered water pump as the artwork «Freiläufer»
This gallery documents the demanding assembly and installation of our 18-metre special build in Zurich. The logistical masterpiece was completed on the grounds of the Kantonsschule Wiedikon at the former goods station on Güterstrasse, close to Hohlstrasse and the Hardbrücke viaduct. The lattice tower, finished in the signal colour RAL 2004 pure orange, was raised by crane and the huge western windmill fitted high above the ground.
For artist J. V.'s art-in-architecture project, the classic mechanical wind pump was modified at the factory and now turns purely as a sculpture in the winds of the Zurich region. Installing it in such a tight urban setting shows just how adaptable our team is, and we bring exactly the same precision to every working project across Switzerland: from off-grid pasture supply in the Bernese Oberland and agricultural irrigation in the Seeland and Mittelland regions to a crisis-proof well pump for mountain huts and forestry operations.
Reference project · Hohenau an der March, Austria
Off-grid bird conservation: the PE wind-powered water pump W 4012 safeguards the AURING wetland
In Hohenau an der March, this project protects a breeding and resting ground of international importance for thousands of migratory birds. Because the shallow waters of the AURING nature conservation association suffer badly from drought in summer, an electricity-free solution was needed. Right beside the biological station, on the former settling ponds of the old sugar factory, the mechanical PE wind-powered water pump W 4012 and its robust western windmill lift fresh groundwater into the basins, completely climate-neutrally.
Reference project · Sicily, Italy
Sustainable horticulture on Etna: the PE wind-powered water pump W 1812 at the Radicepura botanical park
Amid the fertile volcanic soil of the world-famous Radicepura botanical park in Sicily, our PE wind-powered water pump W 1812 provides a self-sufficient, climate-neutral water supply. Set below Etna, the five-hectare park is home to more than 5,000 plant varieties. With a 12-metre lattice tower and a 1.8-metre western windmill, the installation captures the thermal winds between the Mediterranean coast and the volcano and feeds the park's storage basins, entirely without electricity, with minimal maintenance and as a striking design feature in its own right.
Reference project · Neustadt in Holstein, Schleswig-Holstein
Climate-neutral drainage on the Baltic: the mechanical wind pump at the Altenkrempe pumping station
A milestone for regional climate protection on the Baltic coast: the Wasser- und Bodenverband Neustädter Binnenwasser (the local water and soil management board) has commissioned a modern wind pump on the Kremper Au. The "Altenkremper Windpomp" (model W 5015) regulates the roughly 270-hectare "Kremper Wiesen" meadows, which lie about one metre below sea level. Powered by wind alone, the classic western windmill lifts surplus surface water out of the ditches fully automatically: no electricity, no CO₂ and no running energy costs.
The photo series also shows the complete build of this installation: from delivery in a compact transport crate and pre-assembly of the lattice tower on the ground, through raising it section by section, to fitting the tower head with platform and the finished western windmill.
Behind the scenes · Installation & assembly
Professional crane installation step by step: from single parts to the finished wind-powered well
This photo series documents a complete crane installation step by step: from checking the materials and pre-assembling the lattice tower elements on the ground, through raising and joining the individual sections, to the tower head with platform, the tail vane and the western windmill high above. With good preparation, the whole installation stands in a matter of hours.
More reference projects
More completed installations
A look at more wind-powered water pumps in service: from irrigation in vineyards and the frost protection system at the water outlet to installations that blend quietly into the landscape.
