Germany has become increasingly reliant on Chinese renewable energy tech

[JACK AYLMER]

TRADING TIES WITH ONE AUTHORIAN REGIME FOR ANOTHER IS HOW GERMANY PLANS TO KEEP THE LIGHTS ON.

BERLIN PREVIOUSLY RELIED HEAVILY ON IMPORTED NATURAL GAS FROM RUSSIA TO MEET ITS ENERGY NEEDS.

BUT MOSCOW’S DECISION TO INVADE UKRAINE IN 2022 AND THE TRADE SANCTIONS THAT FOLLOWED MEANT THIS WAS NO LONGER A POSSIBILITY.

SO, GERMANY HAS INCREASINGLY TURNED TOWARDS CHINA TO HELP PIVOT THE NATION’S POWER INFRASTRUCTURE.

SOLAR ENERGY IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST EXAMPLES.

JUST BEFORE RUSSIA’S INVASION, SOLAR ACCOUNTED FOR just AROUND 8 PERCENT OF GERMANY’S ELECTRICITY.

AT TIMES OVER THE ENSUING YEARS, THAT HAS JUMPED TO NEARLY TWO THIRDS OF THE NATION’S POWER.

AND AROUND 90 PERCENT OF THE SOLAR PRODUCTS GERMANY HAS USED TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN – CAME FROM CHINA.

NOW, BEIJING IS EXPANDING INTO THE EUROPEAN NATION’S WIND SECTOR AS WELL.

WITH CHINESE-MADE TURBINES SET TO BE INSTALLED IN A GERMAN OFFSHORE WIND FARM FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER.

PROJECTED TO POWER NEARLY HALF A MILLION HOMES.

MEANWHILE, GERMAN AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURERS HAVE BEEN CAMPAIGNING AGAINST THE EU’S RECENT TARIFF HIKE ON CHINESE ELECTRIC VEHICLES.

BMW, MERCEDES-BENZ, AND VOLKSWAGEN HAVE ALL BUILT MASSIVE PRODUCTION PLANTS FOR THESE CARS IN CHINA-

TAKING ADVANTAGE OF BEIJING’S EV SUPPLY CHAIN DOMINANCE TO CUT MANUFACTURING COSTS.

THE GERMAN GOVERNMENT WAS EVEN ANTICIPATED TO POTENTIALLY INTERVENE ON BEHALF OF ITS AUTO-SECTOR-

AS THE NATION’S CHANCELLOR REFERRED TO THE NEW TARIFFS AS ILLEGAL CUSTOMS BARRIERS AND WARNED OF THEIR LONG-REACHING CONSEQUENCES.

CHINA HAS BECOME THE WORLD’S LEADER IN THE RENEWABLE ENERGY TRANSITION, WITH SOME NATIONS PARTNERING WITH BEIJING AND OTHERS PUSHING BACK AGAINST CHINESE DOMINANCE IN THIS INDUSTRY.

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