The UK government has banned the use of turbines supplied by Mingyang in UK offshore wind projects.
London said the decision had been made after “careful consideration” following a request from industry for ministers to take a position on the use of hardware supplied by the Chinese OEM.
Ministers and officials had been examining potential national security implications since Mingyang was linked last spring with a supply deal for Flotation Energy and Vargronn’s 560MW Green Volt floating wind farm off east Scotland, it is understood.
A UK government spokesperson added: “Industry have sought our view on the use of these turbines in British waters and in our energy system. After careful consideration, government’s view is that we cannot support the use of them in UK offshore wind projects.
“We will always act to protect our national security, we are committed to strengthening and prioritising resilient and sustainable offshore wind supply chains.
“We welcome investment from China where it’s in our national interest – as demonstrated by the significant inward investment during the Prime Minister’s recent visit to Beijing.
“We will continue to take a consistent, long term and strategic approach to our relationship with China – cooperating where we can, while never compromising on security and resilience.”
Mingyang said it was “disappointed” with the verdict which it added would “delay” plans by the company to build a £1.5bn turbine factory in Scotland.
Mingyang has pledged to “continue to engage constructively” with the government on topics including national security.
It added it continued to believe in the long-term potential of the UK market and that “planned activities remain unchanged”.
A company spokesperson said: “The decision misses a significant opportunity to increase competition in the capacity-constrained wind turbine market, delays Mingyang’s plans to invest £1.5bn in Scotland in offshore wind turbine production – creating up to 1,500 jobs – and risks energy prices staying higher for longer for British households and industry at a time of global energy shocks.
“We will continue to engage constructively with the UK government, including on the important topic of national security, and remain committed to supporting the UK’s mission to become a clean energy superpower. We continue to believe in the long-term potential of the UK market, and our planned activities remain unchanged.”
