MingYang: Government ministers warned against 'handing over' energy grid to Chinese Communist Party
It comes after GCHQ warned that China has the potential to shut down the national grid in a cyber security attack
Government ministers have been warned to “not hand over” control of Scotland’s energy grid to China.
The warning comes after MingYang Wind Power announced plans to open a £1.5 billion turbine manufacturing facility in Ardesier in the Highlands following meetings with senior Scottish Government ministers.
Ian Williams, an expert in Chinese affairs, told BBC The Sunday Show the facility would give China “enormous power” over the grid and pose “an enormous threat”.
It comes after GCHQ warned that China has the potential to shut down the national grid in a cyber security attack.
Mr Williams said there were “multiple reasons not to trust China”.
The UK Government is still to decide whether or not to give the green light to MingYang, but Mr Williams said the turbines the company would produce in the Highlands would be part of a “very smart grid” and that whoever controlled them would “have an enormous amount of power over individual components and over the grid itself.”
He said: “The danger is multiple. It’s not only that they could be used as a means of surveillance or espionage where they are placed, but also the danger of sabotage.
“MingYang is nominally a private company, but in China that means very little because all companies by virtue of Chinese law are obliged to work with the security services when it comes down to issues of national security or espionage.”
He added: “The issue here is it’s a huge economic benefit potentially for that part of Scotland, but you’re going to hand over control of your smart grid to the Chinese Communist Party.
“We’ve seen in Ukraine … the effect on the economies of Europe and Britain immediately after the invasion because of our dependence on Russian hydrocarbons [and] gas and oil.
“Do we really want to become dependent on China for renewable energy technology? Because if there is a break in relations, and let’s face it that is very, very possible, these dependencies could become extremely dangerous.”
Mr Williams added: “One of the big issues that we face is the government talks about trying to balance this dichotomy of economic advantage of dealing with China on the one hand, against security concerns on the other, and thinks that somehow we can find a balance.”
Mr Williams told the programme that Zhang Chuanwei, the founder and head of MingYang, is a member of the Chinese Communist Party. He also said it is “wrong” to regard MingYang as a private company as it is subsidised by the Chinese government.
Scotland on Sunday reported that First Minister John Swinney, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes and Business Minister Richard Lochhead met with MingYang for the past 12 months.
Mr Swinney met Mr Chuanwei at the UK Government’s international investment summit in London in October 2024 to “discuss investment plans for Scotland”.
Correspondence and records show Mr Swinney has met with MingYang twice. Mr Lochhead discussed investment with the company while on a trade visit to China, and Ms Forbes held further talks with the firm.
Opponents have criticised the SNP ministers’ meetings with MingYang because of concerns about national security.
UK Energy Minister Michael Shanks would not be drawn on whether or not the UK Government plans to grant consent for MingYang’s plans for the Highlands.
Mr Shanks said: “Across the economy, national security will always be a number one priority for any minister and for any government, and so any contract, anyone entering the UK market, will be considered through the full range of our national security investigatory powers.”
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