Comment on MP raises security fears over a Chinese firm's involvement in North Sea windfarm developments
RobotToaster@mander.xyz 5 months ago
What does he think they’re going to do? make them blow backwards?
Networking equipment I can kinda understand, but what security implications can a windmill have?
Dendrologist@lemmy.world 5 months ago
The large wind farm off the coast of Aberdeen could power about 70% of the entire city iirc. That was one of the first large offshore windfarms, they’ll only get better and more efficient. If large offshore windfarms become more common, then huge swathes of the country will be powered by them.
If we then become reliant on those windfarms (which appears to be part of the long term plan) then putting control of them in foreign hands gives them power over us such as “oops, a cable broke and now your whole city has gone dark, ease off on foreign policy A, or agree to trade agreement B, and we might be able to fix that cable for you”
It’s a nationally critical piece of infrastructure, it’s strange to source it out of country.
Of course, a UK company could try that kinda stunt as well, but they then need to answer to UK courts. It’s less daunting for foreign state run companies as they can pull out of country easier to avoid repurcussions and have the backing of their government.
0x815@feddit.de 5 months ago
Yes, we have seen similar ‘strategies’ by China regarding its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), for example. In the end Beijing tries to influence not only a foreign country’s economy but also its public administration. (For example, the port of Sri Lanka, one of China’s BRI ‘partners’, now belongs to China, meaning that the small island has lost control of its allegedly most important asset.)
Digestive_Biscuit@feddit.uk 5 months ago
Similar to what they’re doing in Africa with rare earth mining. Control the mining and/or the trade of mined rare earths.
Tweak@feddit.uk 5 months ago
Cables can be fixed by anyone, China don’t make the cables.
RobotToaster@mander.xyz 5 months ago
The company appears to just be a manufacturer? The article doesn’t specify but I assume it’s not intended for them to have control of them?
Personally I would rather they were all made in the UK, to support what’s left of British manufacturing, but the article says it is part of a “Strategic Investment Model scheme for international developers to build wind farms”. It seems bizarre, to exclude domestic companies entirely like that.
EinfachUnersetzlich@lemm.ee 5 months ago
It probably comes down to people not being willing to pay twice as much for electricity if the infrastructure can be acquired for half the price elsewhere.