Policy

UK MPs raise security concerns over Chinese wind turbines after deal reports

Mingyang has previously offered concessions on data security to assuage security concerns around use of its machines in Europe

Green Volt has denied a report that it has chosen Mingyang, which last year unveiled a 16.6MW twin-headed OceanX floating wind turbine, as its supplier, although the UK project confirmed in 2023 that it was considering one of the OEM's earlier models.
Green Volt has denied a report that it has chosen Mingyang, which last year unveiled a 16.6MW twin-headed OceanX floating wind turbine, as its supplier, although the UK project confirmed in 2023 that it was considering one of the OEM's earlier models.Photo: Mingyang
Journalist

Concerns that Chinese offshore wind turbines could be used to spy on UK submarines and energy infrastructure were debated in Britain's parliament after a report that Mingyang has won a deal to supply a trailblazing Scottish project.

The debate yesterday followed a story first reported by UK newspaper The Sun that Chinese manufacturer Mingyang has won a deal to supply the 560MW Green Volt floating wind project.
Green Volt was granted offshore planning approval and a UK government Contract for Difference last year and says it remains on track to become the first large-scale floating offshore wind farm in Europe.
Green Volt, which is being developed by Flotation Energy and Vargronn, a joint venture between Eni's Plenitude unit and HitecVision, insisted to Recharge this week that “as yet, no turbine supplier has been confirmed”.

Green Volt did however confirm in 2023 that it was considering turbines from Mingyang, Denmark’s Vestas or GE Vernova in the US.

The prospect of Mingyang supplying Green Volt has in any case set alarm bells ringing in UK parliament, with Liberal Democrat member of parliament (MP) Christine Jardine yesterday raising an urgent question over “potential security implications of the involvement of Chinese companies, including Mingyang, in energy infrastructure projects.”

As well as Mingyang’s reported interest in supplying the Green Volt project, Jardine said that around £60m ($75m) of Scottish government funding has been “earmarked for a wind turbine factory near Inverness.”

This was an apparent reference to the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council naming a Mingyang factory plan proposal as one of several potential ‘priority projects’ to be considered last year, a prospect that has itself attracted fierce debate and opposition.
These prospective Mingyang deals are “despite the European Union bringing anti-trust cases against China and the Norwegian government blocking Mingyang from its green infrastructure projects,” said Jardine.

She called for an “assessment of any opportunities for remote access to the turbines, as the software will normally remain in the control of the manufacturers even once commissioned, leaving them vulnerable to being switched off. We need local control.”

Her comments come in the wake of the former head of spy agency MI6 claiming that Beijing could “reprogram” Chinese wind turbines in the UK if it wanted to.

Conservative MP Andrew Bowie said the reported Green Volt deal is “concerning” and that “alarm bells have been sounded” in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and in the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

“This green revolution will come with a ‘made in China’ label.”

“Chinese-controlled technology embedded in our critical energy infrastructure is evidently a threat to our security,” he continued.

“If Chinese-manufactured turbines are installed, security experts have warned that sensors could spy on British seas, defence submarine programmes and the layout of our energy infrastructure.”

Another Conservative MP and former party leader, Sir Iain Duncan Smith, also claimed that the MoD and DESNZ have “raised objections about the Treasury’s push to bring Mingyang Smart Energy into the circuit to bid for this.”

Kerry McCarthy, parliamentary under-secretary of state for energy security and net zero for the Labour government, said that “protection and security of the energy sector is an absolute priority.”

“The government firmly believe that the biggest risk to our energy system and energy security is remaining dependent on international fossil fuel markets, controlled by petrostates and dictators. That is why we have a mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower to end that dependence.”

The government “engages in discussions with a wide range of investors, including those from other countries,” she said, while also understanding that growth of UK supply chains is “critical.”

“The government will not hesitate to use our powers to protect national security whenever we identify concerns, and we will take a consistent, long-term and strategic approach to managing the UK’s relations with China.”

Mingyang last year achieved breakthrough deals to supply offshore wind projects in Germany and Italy that have also raised security concerns. The Chinese group has previously said it is prepared to offer protections around data from its turbines to reassure users over security concerns.
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.
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Published 13 February 2025, 12:34Updated 13 February 2025, 12:34
MingYang Smart EnergyUKEuropeGreen VoltVargronn