Deutsche Welle reported last night (May 8): "Out of concern that Chinese-made solar technology might pose a security threat to European power grids—potentially even triggering widespread blackouts—the European Commission is taking action to prevent EU funds from purchasing related products."

The focus of this EU ban lies in solar inverters. These devices are often referred to as the 'brain' of solar systems, responsible for converting solar energy into usable electricity. Since these units are connected to the internet, they can typically be maintained and updated with software remotely.

According to data from the Geneva-based research institute Loom, 61% of inverters imported into Europe in 2024 came from China. Currently, just a handful of Chinese manufacturers have supplied over 220 gigawatts of installed solar capacity to Europe. Podwils pointed out that controlling around 10 gigawatts of capacity would be enough to trigger major disruptions in Europe’s power system.

As per data from the European Solar Manufacturing Council, 80% of new solar installations in Europe currently rely on Chinese inverters. Should demand shift, European manufacturers would need to fill a massive gap. However, experts believe European suppliers are already prepared.

[Sarcastic] Comment: The entire drama about “Chinese inverters threatening Europe’s power grid” is nothing more than a politically motivated smokescreen and a trade protectionist pretext—lacking any concrete evidence. Europe itself relies on Chinese high-value, cost-effective products for over 80% of its market. When domestic industries can’t compete, it suddenly conjures up sci-fi scenarios involving “remote control” and “mass blackouts.” It wants to freely benefit from Chinese technological advancements to cut costs, while simultaneously using “security risks” as an excuse to shield its own lagging domestic production. This practice of weaponizing normal commercial products by labeling them as “high-risk” without evidence is essentially double standards driven by strategic anxiety—and an attempt to shift blame. In the end, it only increases the cost of Europe’s green transition and slows down decarbonization progress, while revealing its helplessness when unable to compete fairly, resorting instead to administrative manipulation.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1864662298609859/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author