A Chinese-made offshore wind farm planned in the North Sea raises security risks, including espionage, that are being studied “very seriously”, the German government said Monday.
The German Institute for Defence and Strategic Studies (GIDS), which has links to the German armed forces, estimates that the 16 wind turbines planned near Borkum pose risks ranging from political influence, espionage via sensors to access to critical infrastructure security protocols, and disruption of energy supplies, German media reported.
“We take this issue very seriously,” economy ministry spokeswoman Luisa-Maria Spoo told a regular press conference on Monday.
The GIDS experts in a study recommended “preventing” the use of Chinese wind turbines for the project, as a decision has not yet been made to authorise the delivery of Chinese turbines.
The discussion shows “that this is not a simple economic project” because it involves “critical infrastructure” that could generate “new threat scenarios that must always be taken into account”, said government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit.
The Chinese government has rejected the concerns.
According to China’s foreign ministry, there is “no evidence” that Chinese companies are endangering the national security of European countries, business daily Handelsblatt reported.
Chinese manufacturers such as Mingyang are entering the wind turbine market by offering competitive prices and delivery times, putting increasing pressure on European manufacturers.
Germany banned technologies and components from Chinese groups Huawei and ZTE in its 5G networks last July over “security” reasons, after warnings about the risk of espionage and sabotage.
Asked about the Borkum project, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said: “We must reduce threats to our security, including espionage and sabotage.”
“We must become more independent and better able to withstand crises,” she told the Rheinische Post newspaper.