DistantNews
🇳🇬 Nigeria /Technology

EU bans funding for Chinese solar tech over grid risks

From The Punch · (5m ago) English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • The EU has banned public funding for clean tech projects utilizing specific Chinese technologies that could endanger the bloc's power grid.
  • This ban, effective since early April, targets inverters from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, including those from major firms like Huawei and Sungrow.
  • The EU aims to mitigate risks of critical infrastructure disruption and prioritizes inverters made in Europe or by like-minded countries.

The European Union has taken a decisive step to safeguard its critical infrastructure by restricting public funding for clean energy projects that incorporate Chinese technology. This move underscores growing concerns within the bloc regarding its reliance on Chinese supply chains for green technologies, viewing it as a significant vulnerability.

Officials have highlighted the potential threats posed by technology from "high risk" states, specifically mentioning the possibility of remote shutdowns of member states' power grids, which could lead to widespread blackouts. The ban, which applies to new projects, focuses on inverters, described as the "brain" of solar energy systems.

Among the most pressing threats is the risk of disruption of the EU’s critical infrastructure by foreign actors.

— Siobhan McGarryEU spokeswoman Siobhan McGarry explaining the rationale behind the ban on Chinese clean tech funding.

By prioritizing inverters manufactured in Europe or sourced from allied nations like Japan, South Korea, the United States, and Switzerland, the EU signals its intent to bolster its own technological independence and reduce its susceptibility to external disruptions. This policy reflects a broader geopolitical strategy to balance the pursuit of green energy goals with national security imperatives.

In practice, this could mean a shutdown, a remote shutdown, of member states’ networks, leading to countrywide blackouts.

— Siobhan McGarryEU spokeswoman Siobhan McGarry detailing the potential consequences of foreign actors disrupting critical infrastructure.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog