The CEO of Wind Europe, Giles Dickinson, expressed this Monday his concern about the intrusion of Chinese-made wind turbines into the European wind industry. According to Dickinson, these devices represent a danger to the energy independence of Europe and Spain with respect to the world.
The delegate has assured that Chinese manufacturers have already won two orders in Serbia and one in Romania, “and there are risks that they will also win them in other countries, including Spain.” In his opinion, the lower prices than those of European manufacturing and the flexible financing conditions represent a “temptation” for the European industry, and he believes that it would be a “big mistake” for Europe, which already became dependent on the Russian gas, now the outside of Chinese renewable equipment.
Dickinson explained that modern wind turbines have up to 300 or more sensors that “very often transmit data to the control centers of wind farms”, which puts energy independence in the West at risk. “There is a risk of losing control of the operation of wind farm machines,” Dickinson said. Furthermore, its presence can help “non-European interests have control over the operation of a large part of the wind farms in Europe,” she assured.
On the other hand, the delegate has stressed that its incursion represents a danger for the employment of the European wind sector, which has 300,000 workers and 250 active factories, as well as for the maintenance services that manufacturers have provided for years to the wind farms. ez built.
The future of Spain and Europe
Regarding the future of wind energy in Europe, Dickinson has defended the European Union’s proposal to increase its use from the current 19% to 35%. According to the delegate, it is necessary to simplify the procedures for the construction of new parks, increase investments in networks to incorporate all the new wind and solar electricity that is installed, as well as be able to maintain the supply chain.
The delegate has also spoken about the influence of wind installations in the territories where they are implemented. According to his statements, some localities have income derived from wind activity that is around 10% of the municipal budget. In other cases it represents a quarter of the total. According to Dickinson, the repowering of old parks in Spanish territory must also be a priority for the development of wind energy in Spanish territory.
On the other hand, floating offshore wind has been presented by the spokesperson as “a great opportunity for Spain”, where foundations and structures are manufactured for subsequent installation in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea.
