Chinese state subsidies for the development of wind turbines in EU member states are coming under the microscope of the European Commission, as Brussels steps up its efforts to protect its domestic industry.
The Commission will examine the conditions for the construction of wind farms in Greece, Spain, France, Romania and Bulgaria, European Union Commissioner Marget Vestager said in a speech at Princeton University in the US on Tuesday 9/4, without to name the companies.
Meanwhile, as Politico reports, the investigation in question has accelerated recently, at a time when EU-China relations are generally in the spotlight.
The EU’s installed wind turbines have mostly been made in the bloc, but Chinese manufacturers accounted for two-thirds of the global market in 2022. In terms of PV, Chinese producers have over 90% of the EU market.
According to the Financial Times (FT), the investigation will use new legislative powers earmarked to scrutinize market-influencing subsidies from foreign governments as Brussels tries to crack down on unfair competition from abroad.
It is worth noting that, according to Bloomberg, China’s wind turbine manufacturers dominated the global market in 2023. In particular, four of the five largest manufacturers were companies based in China, compared to just two the previous year, according to a related report.
Goldwind Science & Technology Co. retained the top spot, while Envision Energy Co. second place was taken by Vestas Wind Systems A/S. General Electric Co. and Siemens Gamesa were displaced from the top five.
Beijing is seeking to establish itself as a world leader in clean technology, which the EU will rely on to achieve its green energy transition, Politico points out.
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