The ten tallest cooling towers ever built, from China's Pingshan II at 210 m to Germany's Lippendorf, all standing taller than most skyscrapers.
Quick answer: 1. Pingshan II Power Station Tower, 2. Kalisindh Thermal Power Station Tower, 3. Niederaussem Power Station Tower, 4. Walsum Power Plant Tower, 5. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant Tower, 6. Bełchatów Power Station Tower, 7. Civaux Nuclear Power Plant Tower, 8. Golfech Nuclear Power Plant Tower, 9. Datteln Power Station Tower, 10. Lippendorf Power Station Tower.
Cooling towers are the iconic hyperboloid structures that rise above power stations, dissipating waste heat from electricity generation. The tallest of them are engineering marvels in their own right — at 200 metres or more, they rival the height of major office towers, yet they are single-purpose concrete shells. This list ranks the tallest natural-draft cooling towers in the world by their structural height in metres. It includes coal, nuclear, and gas-fired power station towers, and focuses on standing structures as well as the notable towers that have been demolished.
The cooling tower at the Pingshan II coal power station in Huaibei, Anhui, China, is the tallest in the world at 210 m. Completed in 2020, it overtook India's Kalisindh towers to claim the record and represents the current state of the art in natural-draft cooling tower construction.
The twin cooling towers of the Kalisindh Thermal Power Station in Jhalawar, Rajasthan, India, stand 202 m tall. Completed in 2012, the two towers of Units 1 and 2 held the world record until Pingshan II was built. They serve one of India's major coal-fired power stations.
The cooling tower at Niederaussem Power Station in Bergheim, Germany, reaches 200 m. Completed in 2002 for the coal-fired plant's BoA unit, it was the world's tallest cooling tower for a decade and remains the tallest in Europe. The tower serves one of Germany's largest lignite power plants.
The cooling tower at the Walsum coal power plant in Duisburg, Germany, stands 181 m tall. Completed in 2008, it serves the plant's Unit 10 and is among the tallest cooling towers in Europe, ranking just behind Niederaussem among German towers.
The cooling towers for Units 3 and 4 of the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant in Burke County, Georgia, USA, stand 180 m tall. Completed in 2022, they are the tallest cooling towers in the United States and serve the newest nuclear reactors built in America.
The new-unit cooling tower at Bełchatów Power Station in Poland stands 180 m tall. Completed in 2011, it serves Europe's largest lignite-fired power plant. The tower is one of several 180-metre cooling towers across Europe that cluster just behind the tallest records.
The two cooling towers at the Civaux Nuclear Power Plant in France stand 180 m tall with a base diameter of 153 m. Completed in 1996, they are among the largest cooling towers ever built by base footprint and serve France's newest operating nuclear reactors.
The two cooling towers at the Golfech Nuclear Power Plant in France reach 179 m, with a base diameter of 146 m. Serving the plant's two pressurized water reactors, they are among the tallest cooling towers in the world by structural height.
The cooling tower at the Datteln coal power station in Germany stands 178 m tall. Completed in 2009, it serves the station's modern hard-coal unit and is part of Germany's cluster of ultra-tall natural-draft cooling towers built in the 2000s.
The cooling towers of the Lippendorf Power Station in Saxony, Germany, stand 175 m tall. Completed in 2000 for the plant's two new units, they are among the tallest cooling towers in Europe and round out the top ten of the world's tallest.
| # | Name | Country | Location | Type | Year completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pingshan II Power Station Tower | China | Huaibei, Anhui | Coal power station | 2020 |
| 2 | Kalisindh Thermal Power Station Tower | India | Jhalawar, Rajasthan | Coal power station | 2012 |
| 3 | Niederaussem Power Station Tower | Germany | Bergheim, North Rhine-Westphalia | Coal power station | 2002 |
| 4 | Walsum Power Plant Tower | Germany | Duisburg, North Rhine-Westphalia | Coal power station | 2008 |
| 5 | Vogtle Electric Generating Plant Tower | United States | Burke County, Georgia | Nuclear power station | 2022 |
| 6 | Bełchatów Power Station Tower | Poland | Bełchatów, Łódź Voivodeship | Coal power station | 2011 |
| 7 | Civaux Nuclear Power Plant Tower | France | Civaux, Vienne | Nuclear power plant | 1996 |
| 8 | Golfech Nuclear Power Plant Tower | France | Golfech, Tarn-et-Garonne | Nuclear power plant | 1990 |
| 9 | Datteln Power Station Tower | Germany | Datteln, North Rhine-Westphalia | Coal power station | 2009 |
| 10 | Lippendorf Power Station Tower | Germany | Lippendorf, Saxony | Coal power station | 2000 |
Cooling towers are ranked by structural height in metres as documented in the Wikipedia list of tallest cooling towers, which compiles figures from power station operators and engineering records. Only natural-draft hyperboloid cooling towers taller than 150 m are included. Where multiple towers at one station share the same height, each is listed separately when it represents a distinct structure; ties are ordered by year completed. Demolished towers are excluded from the top ten in favor of standing structures.
A natural-draft cooling tower uses the buoyancy of warm, humid air to create an upward draft through its hyperbolic shell, pulling cooler ambient air in at the base. This airflow cools hot water from the power station's condenser without mechanical fans. The distinctive hourglass shape maximizes structural strength and airflow efficiency.
The hyperboloid shape is both structurally efficient and aerodynamically ideal. The curved profile distributes stress evenly through the thin concrete shell, allowing the tower to stand with minimal material, while the narrowing waist accelerates the rising air, improving the cooling draft. The shape is also self-supporting without internal columns.
Taller towers generate a stronger natural draft, which improves cooling efficiency and allows the power plant to operate at higher thermal efficiency. For large coal and nuclear plants that generate enormous waste heat, a taller tower means more effective cooling and better overall performance, which is why the tallest towers are always found at major power stations.