China expands grip on wind energy

European governments seeking to expand offshore wind power are increasingly wary of Chinese companies' involvement. Countering China's dominance will be time-consuming and expensive, but political pressure and national security concerns may give the region little choice.

- Ron Bousso

Offshore wind is a cornerstone of northern Europe's clean energy strategy, offering a reliable alternative for more windy and less sunny countries striving to cut greenhouse gas emissions and reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels.

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Europe has dramatically slashed its purchases of Moscow's oil and gas, but it has mostly replaced this with imports of US liquefied natural gas, meaning it has traded one dependence for another.

However, wind technology also relies on a foreign power, given China's central role in the wind power supply chain from rare earth magnets to turbines and blades. The role of China in this sector has become a source of debate between European governments and the industry.

Nowhere more so than in Britain, which aims to triple its offshore wind generation by 2030 to between 43 and 50 gigawatts from around 15GW today. Chinese wind turbine manufacturer Ming Yang Smart Energy announced on Oct 10 plans to invest up to US$2 billion (64.6 billion baht) in a plant in Scotland,

just a month after Britain's largest electricity supplier Octopus Energy signed an agreement with Ming Yang to explore opportunities to develop 6 GW of wind. In its announcement, Ming Yang said the turbine manufacturing facility at Ardersier still requires the British government's approval.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces a challenging decision. Approving this major wind deal should support the government's green energy ambitions and hopes to tighten trade relations with Beijing, but it also risks running afoul of the growing push for energy nationalism.