Siemens Gamesa knocks Mingyang off German offshore wind project
Project developer Luxcara said switch makes sense as it also plans to use Siemens Gamesa wind turbines at neighbouring 1.5GW site
Siemens Gamesa has replaced Mingyang as the preferred supplier of wind turbines for a German offshore wind project, the developer of which had come under huge pressure over its planned use of Chinese machines.
The agreement with the turbine maker was concluded following an international tender, it said, and covers the delivery of 97 turbines, each with a capacity of 15.5MW including power boost.
That agreement had represented a major breakthrough for Mingyang and Chinese OEMs generally into Europe’s offshore wind market. It also caused a stir in Europe’s wind industry, amid concerns around cybersecurity, subsidies and the potential impact on the local supply chain.
Those concerns were not mentioned by Luxcara, which rather said that it “now sees potential in bundling procurement processes and contract awards, as well as in joint installation campaigns and coordinated operations.”
“Given the advanced stage of the Waterekke project and the possibility of operational integration between the two projects, Luxcara is currently examining the use of Siemens Gamesa turbines for the smaller Waterkant project as well. For this option, Luxcara has additionally reserved 19 turbines of the same type.”
Mingyang confirmed in a statement on LinkedIn that it is “no longer involved in the Waterkant project, following a mutual agreement with the project’s developer Luxcara.”
“Mingyang sees many opportunities and is supporting a range of projects in the region, remains fully committed to serving the European market with reliable, innovative, and sustainable clean energy solutions.”
Chinese turbine makers deny their machines present such a threat.
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