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Chinese wind turbine makers participation in EU projects

The European Commission has requested information as part of a preliminary review of possible market distortions by Chinese wind turbine makers in 5 European Union countries, a move that China called discriminatory.

EU competitors chief Margrethe Vestager said on Tuesday the Commission was investigating the conditions for wind park development in Spain, Greece, France, Romania and Bulgaria, without giving more details about why these nations in particular were highlighted.

HOW MANY TURBINES ARE SUPPLIED BY CHINESE MAKERS?

Around 2.6 gigawatts (GW) of Chinese-made wind turbines are currently set up or prepared to be set up in Europe, consisting of Britain, according to lobby group Green Power Denmark.

Overall EU wind generation capability totaled up to 221 GW last year, according to Commission stats.

Europe set up 18.3 GW of new wind power capability last year alone, with the EU's 27 countries installing 16.2 GW of that, according to market group WindEurope.

The supply of Chinese wind turbines for EU tasks is relatively small and the European market is still dominated by domestic gamers such as Vestas, Enercon, Nordex and Siemens Gamesa.

However, overcapacity in the Chinese market has caused more exports abroad and Chinese turbines are more affordable than European-made ones, with producers offering attractive delayed payments, market sources stated.

WHICH CHINESE MAKERS SUPPLY TURBINES?

Goldwind, Envision, MingYang, Shanghai Electric, Sinovel and Zhejiang Windley are the main players associated with EU jobs, which are not just in the nations highlighted by the Commission probe however likewise in Italy, Croatia and Sweden, in addition to non-EU member nations North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Ukraine and Turkey.

WHICH WIND PARKS USE CHINESE WIND TURBINES?

According to market group WindEurope, the bulk are onshore wind. Concentrating on the countries highlighted by the Commission, those which are online consist of 6 in France, 5 in Spain, 3 in Greece, one in Bulgaria and 2 in Romania.

Under construction, there are two in France.