Achieving renewable energy targets is impossible without Chinese turbines, German companies say

The possible use of wind turbines manufactured in China has been a topic of debate in Germany recently. Some experts believe Chinese turbines pose too great a security risk, while developers may see them as a way to lower project costs. German energy companies, however, say Chinese turbines are essential if Germany is to achieve its ambitious 2030 targets.

Germany is bringing new renewable energy sources online every year, but it still has a long way to go to meet its targets. Some German energy companies say that achieving its wind power targets would be impossible without Chinese turbines. By the end of this decade, Germany plans to have 115 GW of onshore wind capacity and 30 GW in offshore wind farms. It currently has just 9.2 GW of offshore capacity and almost 64 GW of onshore wind capacity.

"This expansion requires a strong supply chain. The number of suppliers is currently very limited. To keep pace with global competition, we do not want to rule out entirely the theoretical possibility of considering Chinese manufacturers, because ultimately this is also an economic issue," an EnBW spokesperson said, adding that although EnBW does not currently operate any Chinese wind turbines, it may do so in the future.

RWE is also open to using turbines made by Chinese manufacturers in future projects. However, according to Clean Energy Wire, it stresses that politicians will have to address security-related concerns.

"Given the limited manufacturing capacity in offshore supply chains around the world, from the company's perspective there would be no fundamental objection to Chinese manufacturers producing under the same conditions, in Europe and to our high European standards," an RWE spokesperson said, according to the website.

The security risk question

Potential risks associated with using Chinese technology are examined in a recent study by the German Institute for Defence and Strategic Studies (GIDS). The analysis, commissioned by the German Ministry of Defence, identifies political influence, espionage using sensor technology, access to security protocols for critical infrastructure and disruption to energy supplies among the risks.