LABOUR are poised to let China into a major North Sea wind farm despite warnings it undermines national security and risks sparking a row with America.
Treasury officials have “brushed aside fears” of a hostile state building critical UK infrastructure.
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Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who visited Beijing last month, has been promised hundreds of millions of pounds of investment if the China deal goes through, an insider told The Sun.
They said: “It is madness to let a hostile state install UK critical national infrastructure.
“But as far as the Treasury is concerned, it seems money is more important than security.”
The Green Volt North Sea wind farm is due to be Europe’s largest floating green energy project.
It is a joint venture between the Italian-Norwegian owned Vårgrønn and Japan’s Flotation Energy.
They have selected China’s Mingyang Smart Energy to supply the all-important turbines that turn wind into electricity.
The Chinese turbines are half the price of European equivalents according to industry sources.
Elizabeth Braw, a senior fellow at Atlantic Council think tank in Washington DC, slammed the move as “a bad idea”.
She said: “It is too risky to entrust critical national infrastructure to a company from country that has shown they are not our friends.
“All of us depend on critical infrastructure functioning without disruption and problems and today there are no guarantees when you involve Chinese companies.”
She also warned the move “won’t win the UK any friends in Washington”.
Two government departments have raised concerns but appear to have been overruled.
Ed Milliband’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero warned China could switch off the power plunging homes and oil rigs into darkness.
An assessment concluded the risk was real but the Green Volt site wasn’t big enough to jeopardise UK power supplies.
When it is fully built some 35 turbines will provide up 560 MW of power.
The Ministry of Defence raised separate concerns that the floating structures could be used as spy sensors.
A source said: “If a Chinese company supplies the turbines they have a legitimate excuse to visit any one at any time for maintenance.
“That means they can install almost anything they like at any time.
“The worst case scenario is we have to assume every turbine could then be an antenna intercepting signals intelligence, or a sensor tracking ships or planes.”
A second MoD insider said: “We are absolutely right to be hawkish about China and have a duty to scrutinise risks and raise flags where we have concerns.
The worst case scenario is we have to assume every turbine could then be an antenna intercepting signals intelligence, or a sensor tracking ships or planes
A source
“Ultimately though, this is a wider government decision.”
Mingyang is China’s largest floating offshore wind company. They are in talks to open a turbine plant in Scotland if the Green Volt deal gets approved.
The SNP government in Edinburh gave the factory “priority” status in its Strategic Investment plan.
A government source said: “The fear in the Treasury is that if we don’t get this factory the investment will go to Italy.
“So it’s a question of jobs and growth.”
Green Volt said it was still “identifyin supply chain partners” and vowed to follow government guidance on UK national security.
A spokesperson said: “We are developing the largest commercial-scale, floating offshore wind farm in the world, working to hugely ambitious timelines to deliver the government’s goal of 5GW of floating offshore wind by 2030.
“We are identifying supply chain partners to help us build the wind farm.
“Regardless of which suppliers are chosen, we will comply with any Government regulation and guidance around security of critical national infrastructure.”
Mingyang did not respond to a request for comment.
Earlier, their chief exec Ma Jing said the UK was “a pivotal market for the expansion of our clean energy portfolio.”
It comes after The Sun revealed defence chiefs had been ordered to stop talking in Chinese electric cars over fears Beijing can eavesdrop.
Their fleet of civilian MGs and BYD cars pose a “security risk”.
A Government spokesperson said: “Kickstarting economic growth so working people have more money in their pockets is the number one priority of this Government as we deliver on our Plan for Change – and we continue to welcome investment while always protecting our national security first and foremost.”
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