Wind

UK floating wind trailblazer denies choosing Chinese turbines

Use of Chinese turbines in Europe a contentious topic amid concerns over impact on homegrown suppliers and claims machines could be used for spying

A Mingyang wind turbine blade on the production line in China.
A Mingyang wind turbine blade on the production line in China.Photo: MYSE
Journalist

Europe’s first large-scale floating wind array has denied a report it has chosen Mingyang turbines for the trailblazing project, having previously confirmed it is considering a model produced by the Chinese manufacturer.

Green Volt, which is being developed by Flotation Energy and Vargronn, a joint venture between Eni's Plenitude unit and HitecVision, has chosen Mingyang to supply turbines for the 560MW project in the UK, according to a report in UK newspaper The Sun.
Green Volt was granted offshore planning approval last year and says it remains on track to become the first commercial-scale offshore floating wind farm in Europe. It secured a UK government Contract for Difference (CfD) power deal in September and recently handed out key engineering contracts.

Green Volt will include up to 35 floating wind turbines off the east coast of Scotland and aims to be online in 2029. The project will help decarbonise oil and gas in the North Sea by replacing natural gas and diesel power generation, while also providing electricity to the UK grid.

The project is being closely watched as a testing ground for the commercial viability of large-scale offshore floating wind.

The Sun did not cite a source for its claim that Green Volt had handed the lucrative contract to Mingyang.
In a statement to Recharge, Green Volt said: “We are developing the largest commercial-scale, floating offshore windfarm in the world, working to hugely ambitious timelines to deliver the government’s goal of 43-50GW of offshore wind by 2030.”

Green Volt said it is currently identifying supply chain partners and that, “as yet, no turbine supplier has been confirmed”.

“We will comply with any Government regulation and guidance around security of critical national infrastructure in the selection of all our suppliers.”

Mingyang is in line to open a factory in Scotland, with the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council listing the plan a 'priority project' last year. The Sun’s report says the fate of the factory may hinge on the Green Volt deal.
The paper quotes a “government source” that says that “the fear in the Treasury is that if we don’t get this factory the investment will go to Italy.” Mingyang last year struck a deal to equip a 2.8GW floating wind project in Italy that it said it would supply through a new factory in the country.
Mingyang last year launched an eye-catching OceanX twin-rotor floating wind platform with 16.6MW capacity.Photo: Mingyang Smart Energy

The prospect of Chinese wind turbines in Europe is a hugely contentious topic. Chinese turbine makers are able to produce machines far cheaper than their Western competitors, making them an attractive option for developers struggling to make the numbers add up in a sector struggling with inflation.

Speaking with Recharge last year, Vargronn CEO Stephen Bull said: "I think you will see, developers trying to turn every stone on every cost item and this will include looking at different types of turbines, but whether European, Chinese or anything else.”
Many however argue – including the EU in a pending trade probe – that Chinese turbine makers receive unfair state subsidies and pose an existential threat to European OEMs. There are also security concerns around Chinese turbines, with some claiming they could be used to spy on Western states.

Dan Marks, a research fellow for energy security at the Royal United Services Institute, said: “A clear policy framework is needed from government which gives confidence that security and foreign affairs concerns as well economic and energy priorities have been fully considered with respect to Chinese investment into the UK energy sector and dependence on Chinese supply chains.”

“The current approach leaves investors in the dark about where use of Chinese technology or Chinese investment is appropriate and where it is not. Mixed signals do not create a positive investment environment.”

In a 2023 planning document, Green Volt said it was considering turbines from three manufacturers: GE Vernova’s Haliade-X 14MW, the Vestas V236 15MW machine, and Mingyang’s 16MW-242.

GE Vernova has however since then indicated it is not seeking new offshore wind orders – potentially setting up a choice for Green Volt between Mingyang and Danish turbine making giant Vestas. Green Volt declined to comment on which turbines it is now considering.

James Glennie, director of Scottish consultancy Norvind and a 25-year veteran of the global wind power industry, argued that Chinese investment in the UK offshore wind sector “should be treated with extreme caution” as it poses a threat to "hundreds of thousands of jobs" in the country and in Europe.

“Given the perverse incentives of the CfD, an individual developer such as Green Volt cannot be faulted for choosing Chinese turbines over Western models. However, it is well past time for the UK government to follow Europe’s lead and to take China to task for seeking to flood the European market with subsidised wind turbines.”

“If Whitehall does not do this, there can be no doubt that UK efforts to build a world-class domestic offshore wind supply chain will be stillborn.”

Mingyang was contacted for comment. Aside from its Italy deal, the turbine maker also last year won a breakthrough deal to supply a 270MW offshore wind project in Germany. The developer is also edging towards a preferred supplier agreement for up to 6GW of floating capacity for another Scottish project.
The Chinese group has previously said it is prepared to offer protections around data from its turbines to reassure users over security concerns.
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Published 11 February 2025, 16:04Updated 11 February 2025, 17:08
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