PM deflects concerns over Chinese turbines
The Prime Minister has refused to commit to pausing plans by China’s biggest wind turbine maker to build a major manufacturing base in Scotland to allow time to investigate potential risks to national security.
Rishi Sunak set out the Government’s position during Prime Minister’s Questions in response to a question from SNP MP Stewart Mcdonald, who highlighted concerns over the recent announcement that Minyang Smart Energy is set to establish its largest European production facility in the UK.
The proposals have sparked fears focusing on two particular risks: the perceived security threat posed to host countries of technology embedded in the electronic controls on wind turbines, and the potentially market-distorting state subsidies provided by Beijing to China’s renewables sector.
But Mr Sunak said the National Security and Investment Act, which came into force in January 2022 and gives the Government powers to scrutinise and intervene in business transactions such as takeovers to protect national security, would be sufficient to safeguard the country. Mr Mcdonald, SNP MP for Glasgow South and columnist for The Scotsman, highlighted the dangers posed by digital infiltration and foreign control of critical UK systems.
“Hackers have already targeted the electoral commission and various other institutions and targeted many members of this house, and yet plans by China’s largest wind turbine manufacturer, Minyang Smart Energy, to build its largest European facility right here in the UK advance at pace, with the facility to be built in Scotland,” he said.
“Given widely shared concerns about the involvement of
hostile states such as China in the UK’S critical national energy infrastructure, does he not agree that now is the time for this project to be paused, to be reviewed by the government on national security ground – and if not, what message does he think that sends?”
Mr Sunak replied: “As I’ve said repeatedly, China is a country with different values to ours and is acting in a way that is increasingly authoritarian at home and assertive abroad.
“It’s right that we take firm steps to protect ourselves against that, particularly in the area of economic security, which is why this government passed the National Security and Investment Act.
“And we have used those powers, not least to block Chinese investment in a sensitive semiconductor company, but also to ensure that the Chinese state nuclear company had no part in the future of our nuclear power.”
There is mounting worry over possible risk posed to critical energy infrastructure in the UK from software widely used to control devices developed by China.
In the case of offshore wind farms, the ultimate control of a turbine sits with the manufacturer, not the developer – and systems governing blades and other functions are directed by computer algorithms controlled by the manufacturer.
This means turbines could be vulnerable to malicious acts, such as being shut down.