As China dominates solar and energy sector, fears emerge over EU’s ‘high-risk’ crackdown
Brussels’ unease over European reliance on Chinese tech sees the bloc impose bans and restrictions, as fears mount on how far it will go
“If you look around, you see China everywhere,” said the communications chief at a leading German home-storage maker, whose stand at Europe’s largest solar and energy storage exhibition in Munich was flanked by Chinese exhibitors including Fox ESS, HyperStrong and CATL.
The numbers backed him up. Of the more than 2,650 exhibitors at The Smarter E Europe last week, about 750 were registered in China, the largest contingent after host Germany. The true figure is higher still, as the list counts companies by where they are registered, not who owns them.
Weeks before the show, the European Commission barred Chinese inverters – devices that convert electricity from solar panels and batteries into grid-ready power – from all EU-funded projects, citing cybersecurity and dependency risks.