Wind

Chinese wind giant met UK minister amid security concerns

Chinese manufacturer Mingyang was recently tipped to have landed a contract to supply pioneering UK floating offshore wind farm as it mulls opening Scottish factory

Mingyang staff unveil a turbine at its Shanwei manufacturing base in China.
Mingyang staff unveil a turbine at its Shanwei manufacturing base in China.Photo: Mingyang
Journalist

Mingyang met a UK government minister to discuss its growing ambitions in the country amid controversy over whether Chinese wind turbines are a threat to national security, it has emerged.

Mingyang dined with UK investment minister Poppy Gustafsson in December, newly published government documents reveal.

Officials confirmed to Politico, which first reported the meeting, that Gustafsson and Mingyang met in China to discuss the turbine maker’s business aspirations in the UK.

The meeting took place shortly before UK chancellor Rachel Reeves visited China to help foster closer ties between the countries and stimulate investment.

The UK’s relationship with China is a politically sensitive issue and this has translated to concerns over the use of Chinese wind turbines in Britain.

Pioneering 560MW UK floating offshore wind project Green Volt, which is being developed by Flotation Energy and Vargronn, recently denied to Recharge that it has chosen Mingyang turbines, after a report claiming otherwise in UK tabloid The Sun.

Such a deal could be critical to Mingyang pushing ahead with a plan to open an offshore wind turbine factory in Scotland, which has itself attracted concern over its potential impact on the European wind power supply chain.

That denial did not stop the report sparking fresh political debate over the issue, with Members of Parliament (MPs) raising concerns that Chinese turbines could be used to spy on British submarines and energy infrastructure.

A UK government minister reassured MPs that security concerns remain of the highest priority but that the biggest risk to energy security is “remaining dependent on international fossil fuel markets, controlled by petrostates and dictators.”

UK domestic spy agency MI5 is reportedly probing the safety of using Chinese renewable energy technology. This comes as the former head of the UK’s foreign spy agency, MI6, claimed that Beijing could “reprogram” Chinese turbines in the UK.
Mingyang, which was approached for comment, has previously said it is prepared to offer protections around data from its turbines to address security concerns raised.
A vice president of another leading Chinese OEM, Envision, previously told Recharge that claims Beijing could use its turbines to spy on the UK are laughable and an excuse to avoid foreign competition.
The head of the Global Wind Energy Council and recently departed Corio Generation chief Jonathan Cole has also warned that Europe should not seek to “ostracise” Chinese wind turbines from the market.
(Copyright)

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Published 24 February 2025, 10:59Updated 24 February 2025, 10:59
Ming Yang Smart EnergyChinaUKEurope