Chinese wind power companies replace European components with domestic equipment, says think tank

think tank: The think tank identified in the report is Poland’s state-backed Centre for Eastern Studies, known by its Polish acronym OSW, which analyzes political, economic, and security developments in Central and Eastern Europe and neighboring regions. OSW is relevant because its review of Chinese public procurement documents identified a broad pattern of replacing European and other foreign wind-farm technologies with domestic equipment. Chinese wind power companies: Chinese wind power companies develop, manufacture, install, and operate wind turbines and related energy infrastructure in China. They are relevant because Chinese utilities and their subsidiaries are commissioning replacements of foreign control, electrical, and data-management equipment in operating wind farms to strengthen infrastructure security and reduce reliance on overseas technology. Security focus: The replacement effort primarily targets programmable electrical equipment, specialized turbine chips, data-management systems, and operating systems rather than major mechanical components such as blades and rotors. European suppliers: The procurement documents referenced equipment from European wind companies including Vestas and Siemens Gamesa. Infrastructure scope: OSW’s review linked the planned replacements to operating wind assets with combined capacity of about 42.4 gigawatts, representing less than 6% of China’s installed wind capacity.