The UK Government has blocked Chinese firm Ming Yang from building what would have been the world’s largest wind turbine manufacturing facility in Scotland.
The firm had proposed a £1.5 billion facility at a site in Ardersier near Inverness, with up to 1,500 jobs being created.
Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney said on social media: “Deeply disappointed that the UK Labour government has blocked Ming Yang’s investment in our renewables industry – putting up to 1500 Scottish jobs at risk.
“At the very moment we should be building clean energy, they are sabotaging Scotland’s industrial future.”
A UK government spokesperson said: “Industry have sought our view on the use of these turbines in British waters and in our energy system. After careful consideration, government’s view is that we cannot support the use of them in UK offshore wind projects.
“We will always act to protect our national security, we are committed to strengthening and prioritising resilient and sustainable offshore wind supply chains.
“We welcome investment from China where it’s in our national interest – as demonstrated by the significant inward investment during the Prime Minister’s recent visit to Beijing.
“We will continue to take a consistent, long term and strategic approach to our relationship with China – cooperating where we can, while never compromising on security and resilience.”
A Ming Yang spokesperson said: “The decision misses a significant opportunity to increase competition in the capacity-constrained wind turbine market, delays Mingyang’s plans to invest £1.5bn in Scotland in offshore wind turbine production – creating up to 1,500 jobs – and risks energy prices staying higher for longer for British households and industry at a time of global energy shocks.
“We will continue to engage constructively with the UK government, including on the important topic of national security, and remain committed to supporting the UK’s mission to become a clean energy superpower. We continue to believe in the long-term potential of the UK market, and our planned activities remain unchanged.”
Liam Byrne MP, Chair of the UK Government’s Business and Trade Committee said: “I welcome this decision to block Ming Yang from the UK’s energy system. Our Committee has consistently warned that in a more unstable world, where China has too often resorted to the tactics of economic coercion, we simply can’t surrender control of our energy supply chain in ways that create the risk of new and unwise dependencies.
“Our economic security reviews have warned time and time again that over-reliance on China in strategic sectors leaves Britain exposed to coercion, disruption and unfair competition. The Government is right to act. The test now is consistency – enforcing clear rules on Chinese investment, strengthening the sovereign capabilities we need at home and getting tougher on Chinese dumping of over-subsidised good that undermine British firms.
“The government now needs a much clearer more predictable framework for taking these decisions. That is exactly what our new inquiry on the UK-China economic relationship will set out. Above all it’s now vital the UK builds resilient, secure supply chains that support jobs, growth and national security.”