Rachel Reeves’ has been accused of ignoring security concerns and cosying up to China (Image: Getty )
The has been accused of caving to for promising to invest in a controversial North Sea project with Beijing.
Under a deal set to be approved in weeks, the Chinese firm Mingyang Smart Energy could provide wind turbines for an area of the North Sea.
The Ministry of Defence and the Energy department have previously warned new Chinese energy infrastructure raises potential national security threats and concerns over spying.
However, The Treasury has allegedly “brushed off” those concerns and is expected to invest in the project,
The move has sparked a major backlash from critics raising the alarm over the perceived threat.
China could send new wind turbines to an area of the North Sea and Britain may invest in the project (Image: Getty)
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Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith described it as”yet another weak and desperate attempt to crawl on their stomachs to China.”
He told The Sun: “The Labour government is going to approve a North Sea wind farm powered by Chinese turbines, handing over control of a vital resource to a brutal and threatening regime. How China is laughing at us.
“This decision flies in the face of warnings from the Energy department that they could be turned off and from MoD over eves-dropping and spying.”
Shadow Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart said the decision is “more madness from Rachel Reeves and co, jeopardising national security for a bunch of windmills.”
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He told the outlet: “When such serious concerns are being raised, the government has to explain how on Earth this was approved. Why is the Chancellor risking national security?”
Once complete, the Green Volt North Sea wind farm will be the biggest floating green energy project in Europe.The joint venture between the Italian-Norwegian-owned Vårgrønn and Japan’s Flotation Energy will have its electricity supplied by China’s Mingyang Smart infrastructure.
Chancellor has reportedly pledged millions of pounds of investment for the project if the deal goes through.
Number 10 has insisted that wind farms come under the “highest levels of national security”.
Sir ’s spokesman said: “We will always act in the national interest to protect our national security.”
A Government spokesperson said: “Kickstarting economic growth so working people have more money in their pockets is the number one priority of this Government as we deliver on our Plan for Change – and we continue to welcome investment while always protecting our national security first and foremost.”
The contract, which could include a factory making wind turbine parts built in the Inverness area, would mark Mingyang’s first expansion out of China and be a vital supply source for the UK government’s goal of boosting offshore wind provision to reach its net zero target before 2050.
It also comes after the pledged to spend £150 million on offshore wind in its December budget, leveraged towards obtaining £1.5 billion in private funding for more wind farms, with the Highlands considered an ideal climate for its natural windiness and mountainous terrain.
However, concerns have been raised over leaning too heavily on potentially hostile powers for the UK’s energy needs.
Lib Dem MP for Edinburgh West Christine Jardin told The Scotsman: “If we look at the experience of the Germans with the Russian gas pipeline, [it] was used by the Russians to create an energy crisis.
“If the Scottish Government is going to go ahead with these projects, there needs to be protections.” One of them is that the [equipment] can only be switched on and off locally – that this country will have control over it [and] that they won’t have components in them that allow them to be switched off by China,” she added. “That is a big worry.”