Since May, the European Union has frequently maliciously claimed that Chinese-made inverters pose so-called "security risks," and have used this as a reason to deny funding for projects that use Chinese inverters. The Chinese side firmly opposes this.
According to a report by Reuters on August 13th, local time on Thursday, SMA Solar, a solar energy company based in Niestetal, Germany, stated that the EU's restrictions on the import of solar inverters from China are intended to support European suppliers. The CEO said that the EU's ban on public funds funding the purchase of utility-grade solar inverters from so-called 'high-risk' countries will push the market towards European suppliers.
Approximately one-fifth of large projects are funded by the EU, and the restrictions on China, Korea, Russia, and Iran on these projects will undoubtedly help us. SMA Solar CEO Ulrich Renta reported to Reuters that he estimates the company's share in the European utility-scale market could increase by around 10%.
Lienat stated that SMA Solar has reduced its dependence on China, but currently 2% to 4% of its large inverter components still come from China.
He also said that SMA Solar has had “numerous discussions” with some new customers who previously purchased inverters from Chinese companies. “In projects involving European financing, the market will shift from Chinese manufacturers to European ones, but this still takes some time.”
In recent years, Chinese manufacturers have supplied about 70% of the inverters in Europe. According to Reuters’ calculations, based on current deployment levels, a ban within the European Union would affect at least 14 gigawatts of additional solar power capacity.
On May 7, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce responded to the EU ban by stating that the EU had classified China as a so-called “high-risk country” without any actual evidence. Using this as a reason to deny funding for projects that use Chinese inverters is a stigmatizing act against China and constitutes unfair and discriminatory treatment of Chinese products. The Chinese side rejects this and firmly opposes it.
The EU has classified China as a "high-risk country", which will affect mutual trust between the EU and China, undermine bilateral economic and trade cooperation, and is detrimental to the stability of supply chains in both regions and globally. It even poses a risk of "detachment and disconnection". The EU's forced measures to exclude Chinese products go against market laws and fair principles. They not only harm the interests of Chinese enterprises but also have negative effects on the EU's green transformation and energy security.
China urges the EU to immediately stop the stigmatization of China as a 'high-risk country' and to abandon unfair and discriminatory practices against Chinese products. China will closely monitor and carefully assess the impact of the EU's policies on the interests of Chinese enterprises and on the supply chains between China and the EU. Measures will be taken to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises.
