Frankfurt/Main
Employee representatives from IG Metall and Siemens Energy have called for better protection against unfair competition from China in the construction of wind turbines. The reason for this is the preliminary contract for 16 large turbines awarded to the Chinese manufacturer Ming Yang after a tender. According to investor Luxcara, the giant wind turbines with a rotor diameter of 260 meters are to be installed at the Waterkant wind farm on the island of Borkum by 2028. The project is expected to generate electricity for 400,000 households.
Employees warn of unfair competition. Jurgen Kerner, second chairman of IG Metall, makes the analogy: “Following the solar industry, we are putting another future technology at risk of falling victim to unfair competition. That cannot happen.” We cannot afford to lose control of critical infrastructure.
Windeurope, the European wind energy association, has already taken notice of this risk. New wind turbines have up to 300 sensors that transmit data to a control center every minute. The association warns that this data should remain in Europe or in a safe country. China is not one of them. Chinese companies have sometimes cut prices for European manufacturers by 30 to 50 percent and even allowed them to postpone payments for years. This is possible only with the support of state-owned banks.
The Hamburg company Luxcara explained that the bid also took into account EU requirements for sustainability and cybersecurity. Ming Yang ensures that the turbines are powered entirely by renewable energy and that the relevant components are sourced from European suppliers.
Politicians must protect tens of thousands of jobs, demands Horst Hakelberg, chairman of the general works council of Siemens Gamesa. Across Europe, 300,000 employees work directly or indirectly in the wind industry. “Above all, we must not deprive ourselves of the opportunity to implement the energy transition independently. We must avoid new dependencies at all costs.
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