First Chinese wind farms in Europe: German institute warns of security risks

The planned installation of a wind farm off the German coast using Chinese wind turbines should be prevented because of threats to public safety. This is the conclusion of an advisory paper by defence experts from the German Institute for Defence and Strategic Studies (GIDS).

An analysis commissioned by the German Ministry of Defence warns of potential security risks associated with building a Chinese wind farm off the coast of Borkum, an island in northwestern Germany. It says every legal avenue should be pursued to prevent the project from going ahead. The contract was awarded to Chinese manufacturer Mingyang by Hamburg-based investor Luxcara.

“Unlike the millions of solar panels that today come almost exclusively from China, a single offshore wind farm with the installed capacity of an entire power plant at a strategically important location is a much bigger target for the manipulation of energy supplies, as well as for espionage,”Handelsblatt reported.

The analysis identifies political influence, espionage using sensor technology, access to security protocols for critical infrastructure and disruption to energy supplies as risks.

German politicians say the warnings should be taken very seriously

CDU foreign policy politician Roderich Kiesewetter considers the project, which would involve the installation of 16 wind turbines made by Chinese manufacturer Mingyang, “grossly negligent and a threat to security,” Handelsblatt reports.

“It is also a security risk for our NATO partners, especially in the North Sea,” Kiesewetter said.

China could use situational data to spy on military-critical infrastructure and movements. Kiesewetter said such an approach runs counter to the German government’s strategy towards China, which aims to reduce risks to critical infrastructure.

“The project should therefore be halted on security grounds, and Chinese suppliers should be excluded in future,” Kiesewetter added.

Politicians from the SPD and the Green Party expressed similar views. Konstantin von Notz of the German Greens stressed that the warnings from defence experts must be taken very seriously. All options for preventing the agreement must be thoroughly examined and actually used, Notz said.

Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser of the SPD said she was open to banning the supply of critical energy components from China. Faeser said the German government had already introduced statutory restrictions on 5G mobile networks. Similar rules are now needed for energy supplies.

Developer rejects the security concerns

Luxcara rejected claims from military circles that the wind farm could pose risks to national security. It added that very specific security measures are in place for the installed information technology.

The manufacturer, Mingyang, will also have no direct access to the system’s controls during operation, the company said. Control, management, data links and servicing will all be handled in Germany.

“We take the debate about potential risks from non-European technologies very seriously and are aware of our responsibility,” a spokesperson told Handelsblatt.

The company stressed that all critical components of the equipment would be supplied by European manufacturers. The wind turbines will also be continuously inspected by independent experts in line with “the highest requirements for IT and data security”, and all critical components will undergo security testing before commissioning.

GIDS nevertheless warned of potential espionage using sensors that could monitor ships, submarines and aircraft. It also said that the possibility could not be ruled out that this critical infrastructure might become unavailable in the event of a crisis or conflict.

Growing dependence on China

The European Commission has also voiced concerns about security and growing dependence on China. However, given the limited manufacturing capacity in offshore wind supply chains worldwide, German wind farm operators are being forced to turn to Chinese manufacturers.

Chinese manufacturers also benefit from a number of advantages over their European counterparts: cost efficiency, the size of their domestic market, the scale of state subsidies and cheap labour. Access to key materials and components also plays a major role.