Chinese wind turbine manufacturers continue to secure massive overseas orders; four major European wind power companies discuss merger.

According to BloombergNEF (BNEF), overseas installed capacity supplied by Chinese wind turbine manufacturers surged from 1.2 GW in 2024 to 8.9 GW in 2025—a more than eightfold year-on-year increase. Among them, Envision Energy’s overseas installations skyrocketed 15-fold to 4.8 GW—the standout performer. This momentum has not slowed into 2026; rather, it has accelerated further. Data from China Wind Power News shows that from January to April 2026, six leading Chinese turbine OEMs—Envision Energy, Goldwind, Sany Heavy Energy, Shanghai Electric Wind Power, Dongfang Wind Power, and Windey—secured a combined total of 5.236 GW in overseas orders, up 215% year-on-year. Envision alone accounted for 2.56 GW—nearly half the total. The chart above shows the bidding results for overseas projects secured by Chinese wind turbine OEMs from January to June 2026. Envision’s overseas order pipeline continues expanding: according to the latest CCTV report, its newly added overseas orders exceeded 4.4 GW from January to June 2026, with a backlog exceeding RMB 10 billion. Its footprint now spans North Africa, Southern Europe, Southeast Asia, and other global regions. BloombergNEF data also indicates that, as of June 2026, the cumulative operational overseas installed capacity of Chinese wind turbines reached 21 GW. As of June 2026, the total approved and financed overseas installed capacity of Chinese wind turbines stood at 20 GW. The rapid outward expansion of China’s wind power industry is reshaping the global balance of market power—and intensifying urgency among European wind power capital. On July 28, the Financial Times reported that, following the EU’s update to its merger guidelines—with heightened emphasis on scale, innovation, and internal market resilience—European wind turbine manufacturers are evaluating whether consolidation into an industry champion could help them better compete globally against Chinese rivals. The updated merger guidelines form part of a broader initiative stemming from Mario Draghi’s landmark 2024 report, aimed at bolstering European competitiveness and preventing EU member states from falling behind in digital and energy transitions. The report notes that previously, Chinese and European turbine manufacturers each dominated their respective domestic markets. But recently, the winds have shifted: Chinese manufacturers are experiencing rapid growth—and gaining competitive advantage—in emerging markets such as Latin America and the Middle East, and are now actively seeking greater market share in Europe itself. José Manuel Entrecanales, CEO of Acciona, stated: “We have many opportunities—and wind power is one of them. But scale is key… We believe integration is the only path to achieving the necessary scale advantage.” Acciona is Nordex’s largest shareholder; Nordex ranked first in Europe last year by total turbine sales capacity.

China’s wind power industry fills the gap in Europe’s energy transition.

Leaders in the turbine OEM segment are likewise under mounting pressure to fulfill orders. Cao Zhigang, President of Goldwind Technology (002202.SZ), revealed at the company’s February 2026 earnings briefing that Europe’s drive for energy independence has directly elevated order priority—shortening customer decision cycles from three to six months down to just one to two months—and that overseas orders grew 150% year-on-year in 2025. Zhang Chuanwei, Chairman of Mingyang Smart Energy (601615.SH), observed that Europe’s offshore wind development has shifted from being driven by carbon neutrality goals to becoming an urgent energy security imperative—creating a core opportunity for Chinese turbine OEMs amid local production shortfalls. According to information obtained by the Economic Observer, Mingyang Smart Energy has invested £1.5 billion in the UK to build an integrated industrial base covering the entire value chain, and has won major contracts in the Middle East—including a 1,500 MW project in Saudi Arabia and another 1,500 MW project in the UAE. As of 2026, its overseas order backlog exceeds 5 GW. Filling the Gap When selecting partners, European clients prioritize delivery reliability, cost control, and localization. In collaborating with European customers, Chinese enterprises are increasingly focusing on enhancing their integrated capabilities across manufacturing, logistics, and after-sales service. A senior executive overseeing international business at Dajin Heavy Industry detailed to reporters the company’s “delivery certainty” moat: First, it operates its own world-class specialized vessel fleet—including the vessel KINGONE—whose per-ton shipping cost is 40% lower than third-party charter rates, significantly reducing reliance on high-risk shipping lanes such as the Red Sea. Second, it has established port facilities and partnered production capacity in Cuxhaven, Germany, and Szczecin, Poland, adopting a “front-store, back-factory” model—large structural components are manufactured in China and final assembly occurs in Europe—thus satisfying localization requirements while shortening delivery lead times. Third, it offers end-to-end DAP (Delivered At Place) pricing, fully absorbing transportation and delivery risks on behalf of customers. Dajin Heavy Industry’s management explicitly stated during an investor roadshow held on February 3, 2026, at its Caofeidian offshore engineering base that surging demand in Europe for large monopiles and jacket foundations far outpaces local production capacity—and that delivery certainty is the company’s core competitive advantage. Its market share in Europe’s offshore wind foundation component sector rose from 18.5% in 2024 to 29.1% in the first half of 2025—driven primarily by “delivery certainty” and “technical adaptability.” Its Caofeidian deepwater offshore base has passed overseas client acceptance and entered ramp-up phase, forming a collaborative system with European assembly bases under the framework of “R&D in Europe, manufacturing in China, final assembly in Europe.” The aforementioned Dajin Heavy Industry executive noted that the guiding principle behind European orders is “guaranteed delivery > competitive pricing.” He disclosed that in September 2025, the company signed a long-term production-lock agreement for 400,000 tons with a major European player, who paid €14 million upfront as a production reservation fee (i.e., a fee paid to secure exclusive access to the company’s production capacity in advance). He added: “This proves our delivery capability itself is a scarce asset.” On the cost side, steel accounts for over 80% of the total cost of offshore engineering equipment. The executive responsible for European offshore engineering at TianShun Wind Energy told the Economic Observer that the company mitigates raw material price volatility through contractual price-adjustment mechanisms, and secures EU-grade steel at prices approximately 30% lower than European market rates via long-term agreements with domestic suppliers such as Baosteel and Valin Steel.

Chinese Wind Turbine Makers Mull Partners to Break Into Europe

Sep 23, 2026

Chinese wind turbine makers Ming Yang and Envision are considering partnerships with European companies to enter the market, navigating security concerns after a UK investment block.

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Chinese Wind Turbine Makers Mull Partners to Break Into Europe

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