The head of one of Europe’s largest wind turbine manufacturers has called for a quota on the amount of EU-produced turbines installed in the region, as the sector seeks to compete with cheaper Chinese imports and the bloc pushes for energy security.
Siemens Gamesa’s chief executive Jochen Eickholt told the Financial Times that if Europe was serious about its energy independence and the role of wind power, turbines should be considered as critical and strategically important infrastructure, with measures introduced to support the industry.
“If our product is critical to the infrastructure of our countries . . . then certainly, not for 100 per cent of the installations but certainly for a certain portion of the installations [in Europe], you need to have things in your own hands,” said Eickholt.