Mingyang Eyeing Factory in Spain After UK Setback – Report

Chinese wind turbine manufacturer Mingyang Smart Energy is considering locations in Europe, including Spain, for a new manufacturing facility after the UK government blocked support for the company’s planned Scottish factory on national security grounds, Reuters reported.

The company paused plans for the GBP 1.5 billion (around EUR 1.7 billion) Scottish facility after the UK government said in March it could not support the use of Mingyang’s turbines in offshore wind projects around the country.

In a statement following the government announcement, the company said the move represented “a missed opportunity for the UK to benefit from increased competition in a capacity-constrained global turbine market” and that its cost-effective technology, especially the 18.5 MW turbine platform, currently had no direct alternative available in Europe. As the UK government cited security concerns, Mingyang said in March that it was a non-state-owned or controlled company, with a listing in Shanghai and a secondary listing in London, and that the company had developed “a comprehensive technological and commercial solution to address the main national security challenge: data and cybersecurity.”

Following the change of plans in the UK, Mingyang has had discussions with the Spanish government and is also evaluating other European locations for a potential turbine manufacturing facility, according to Reuters.

Mingyang’s wind turbines were initially planned for the Green Volt floating wind project in Scotland, for which the company had been selected as a preferred turbine supplier. In 2024, Mingyang was also named a preferred supplier for the Waterkant project in Germany, where its 18.5 MW turbines had been planned to be used.

Both projects have since dropped plans to use Mingyang’s technology, with the developer of the 300 MW Waterkant switching to Siemens Gamesa turbines.

The new manufacturing plant was proposed to be built in the Port of Nigg, Scotland, and was expected to produce the MySE 18.X-28X offshore wind turbines for European projects.

The 18+ MW model is still planned to be used by the Italian developer Renexia on its proposed 2.8 GW Med Wind floating wind farm.

Renexia has already installed Mingyang technology on Italy’s first offshore wind farm, Taranto (Beleolico).

The Italian company and Mingyang have also received support from the government back in 2024, when the two companies signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT) for the production of Mingyang wind turbines in Italy and the supply of its 18.8 MW model for Renexia’s Med Wind floating wind project.

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