China has a firm grip on the wind energy market. In this way, the country exercises control over Europe. An industry expert warns of the consequences.
Berlin – “Germany is struggling, but cannot achieve the energy transition.” The Association of the Bavarian Economy (vbw) recently gave this certificate to Germany's efforts to expand renewable energies. When it comes to wind energy, things look disproportionately bleak compared to solar power. However, where the expansion works, Chinese wind turbines are often involved. An expert warns that this could take revenge in an emergency.
China's dominance in wind energy
The goals have been set: Germany wants to build wind farms with a capacity of 30 gigawatts by 2030, just at sea. Industry estimates suggest that approximately 7,000 wind turbines will be needed - each the size of the Eiffel Tower. One problem: When it comes to offshore expansion, Germany can rely less and less on neighboring states making their important ports available. They increasingly need this themselves.
In an interview with
n-tv,
Bärbel Heidebroek, President of the Federal Wind Energy Association (BWE), warned of Chinese influence on German wind power expansion. “The Chinese state subsidizes its companies extremely,” explained Heidebroek. “This is not fair competition. European wind manufacturers cannot compete with this.” Great caution is advised here: Chinese companies had already virtually suffocated European ones in the solar industry. European governments must ensure that this does not happen again with wind power.
The European Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA) already provides European countries with the legal framework for possible responses. It says that 40 percent of all green technologies must be manufactured in Europe, and EU leaders are currently discussing how the relevant regulations should be designed to give the wind industry a “fair framework”.
Access to German wind energy – China’s “red button”
In addition to the risk that Chinese dominance of the wind market would pose, there is another potential danger. According to expert Heidebroek, every manufacturer potentially has access to their wind turbines. “Manufacturers must also have this access, because the system has to be maintained or shut down in the event of a bottleneck or malfunction.” In the scenario that there are only Chinese wind turbines in Germany, China could “press a red button and it would be dark”. She calls for clear rules like those in telecommunications. Dominance or even control by China must be ruled out.
However, China is already clearly on course towards dominance. In 2023, Chinese wind turbine manufacturers have dominated the global market. Four of the five largest manufacturers came from China - in the previous year 2022 there were only two. This was reported by
Bloomberg
, citing data from a BloombergNEF report. After Goldwind Science & Technology Co. and Envision Energy.Co (both Chinese), Vestas Wind Systems from Denmark secured third place. Both General Electric, an industry giant from the USA, and Siemens Gamesa were eliminated from the top five.
Chinese manufacturers accounted for approximately two-thirds of all additions (both onshore and offshore wind turbines) last year. Wind manufacturers from the USA, on the other hand, slipped significantly.
Germany is lagging behind in the expansion of wind energy
Heidebroek, on the other hand, doesn't believe in punitive tariffs. These would only fuel a trade war. Either way, Germany urgently needs to take various steps to strengthen its wind power sector. The expansion of wind energy is currently making slow progress. The long-term goal is to increase wind power by twelve gigawatts per year; Germany currently has 3.4 gigawatts. In some Bavarian districts there is even a dismantling rather than an expansion. Can the Federal Republic still achieve its goals?
The German Wind Energy Association (BWE) is insisting on the prompt implementation of EU Directive 2023/2413, also known as RED III. “The directive offers every opportunity to speed up and simplify procedures. It is ideally suited as a platform for implementing the resolutions of the federal-state pact to accelerate planning and approval from November 2023,” the association said in a corresponding message. The federal government just doesn't make enough use of it.