UK agrees to help MingYang enter British offshore wind market in 'game-changing' deal
The Chinese turbine maker aims to build a blade factory and 'conceivably' a turbine assembly plant in post-Brexit Britain
The UK government has formally agreed to help Chinese wind turbine maker Ming Yang Smart Energy enter the British offshore wind market.
The world’s sixth-largest turbine OEM and the UK Department for International Trade (DIT) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) today (Friday) to “cooperate to realise an investment by MingYang into the UK’s offshore wind sector”, the Chinese company said in a statement.
The MoU focuses on MingYang investing in a blade factory, a service centre and “conceivably a turbine assembly factory in the UK”, it added.
“Following this MoU, both parties will work together to complete a final investment agreement of the above-mentioned factories once all pre-conditions are fulfilled,” the statement explained.
“Furthermore, MingYang and DIT will collaborate to explore other market entry options in the UK, including wind turbine testing, offshore wind demonstration projects and pre-commercial wind farms.”
The turbine maker added that it is interested in developing a local supply chain in the UK, making use of British engineering, components and other services.
MingYang has long expressed an interest in gaining market share in the European offshore wind sector, and recently supplied ten 3MW turbines for the under-construction Taranto offshore wind farm off Italy — the first in the Mediterranean and the first Chinese offshore machines to be installed in European waters.
“With this MoU, MingYang places the UK at the core of its global offshore wind strategy,” the statement added. “It showcases MingYang’s ambition to support the UK in fulfilling its renewable energy goals and to serve the growing offshore wind market competitively with regional partners.”
John Edwards, the UK Trade Commissioner to China, said: “MingYang’s intention to make the UK their European base could be a game-changer, both for MingYang and for the UK’s energy industry.
“If successful, this investment will create the UK’s first wind turbine assembly factory. That means that more of the offshore wind energy we use in the UK would be made in the UK, creating more green jobs in one of our most exciting industries. We look forward to welcoming MingYang into the UK’s offshore wind industry.”
The UK, the world’s largest offshore wind market, aims to install 40GW of turbines in its waters by 2030 — up from just over 10GW today.
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