Global green energy cooperation ushers in a new opportunity

Ask AI · How do the UK’s zero-tariff policies enhance Europe’s energy independence?

Source: People’s Daily Overseas Edition

On March 28, seven sets of domestically produced wind power equipment were loaded at Yantai Port in the Shandong Port Group—Penglai Port Area—and sailed to Austria. As Chinese wind power enterprises continue to expand into the European market, Yantai Port has formed a dispatch frequency of two shifts per month for shipping European wind power equipment. The photo shows a cargo ship departing from the Penglai Port Area of Yantai Port in the Shandong Port Group, loaded with wind power equipment bound for Austria (drone photo).

Tongke photo (Xinhua photo)

Starting April 1, the UK will impose zero tariffs on 33 categories of core offshore wind power components to lower the cost of building new energy and accelerate the North Sea wind power rollout. Experts said this is both an important move for the UK to base itself on energy security and implement its carbon-neutral goals, and it will have far-reaching effects on Europe’s green industrial chain layout and global new energy trade. It once again demonstrates the significance of open cooperation in advancing the global energy transition to low carbon.

Zero tariffs:

A realistic choice for energy security and low-carbon transition

With global energy markets becoming increasingly volatile, the UK’s zero tariffs on core offshore wind power components are both a result of Europe’s energy security situation being forced from the outside and a reflection of the global trend toward a greener, low-carbon transition

According to a message on the UK government website, the UK government recently made a decision to formally abolish 33 import tariffs on wind turbine components. The policy will officially take effect on April 1. The government said clearly that this change will remove import duties for 33 categories of goods used to produce wind energy infrastructure. By implementing an “authorized use system,” companies can enjoy zero tariffs as long as they prove that the imported components are specifically used for wind energy manufacturing. The UK government said the core of this move is to strengthen the local offshore wind power supply chain, improve the international competitiveness of its manufacturing sector, help release the £22 billion offshore wind power investment that has been finalized in the distribution of the seventh CfD (Contract for Difference) round, and speed up the commissioning of offshore wind farms in the North Sea.

The North Sea has high-quality offshore wind resources and is an ideal region for building offshore wind farms. According to UK energy planning, the offshore wind installed capacity target for 2030 is 43–50 GW, and offshore wind power will become an important pillar of the UK’s power system. In recent years, the UK has continued to introduce policies such as offshore wind auctions, subsidy support, and grid connection, driving large-scale, intensive development of offshore wind power.

Chen Ying, a researcher and director of the Center for Sustainable Development Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said in an interview with this newspaper, “The UK is an important country along the North Sea coast and has long been actively involved in offshore wind power development. The UK has fully shut down coal-fired power facilities. In 2024, the UK’s carbon emissions fell by about 54% compared with 1990. With the UK further accelerating the development of the new energy industry, it is both to reduce dependence of energy on the outside and to continuously推进 (advance) the process of achieving the 2050 net-zero emissions goal.”

In responding to global climate change and achieving carbon-neutral goals, the UK has always shown active engagement. In 2008, the UK formally enacted the Climate Change Act, becoming the world’s first country to set medium- and long-term emission reduction targets in the form of law. In June 2019, the newly revised Climate Change Act came into effect, officially establishing the goal of achieving net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050—namely, carbon neutrality. In 2024, with the shutdown of the last coal-fired power station, the UK became the world’s first major economy to completely move away from coal.

Experts said that against the backdrop of coal power being phased out and a gap in nuclear power, the UK’s power system is shifting toward natural gas. Currently, natural gas generation accounts for 38% of the UK’s total electricity generation throughout the year, and in peak periods when wind power output is insufficient, that figure rises even more to more than 60%. Moreover, natural gas is not only a source of electricity; it is the lifeline for people’s livelihoods: more than 85% of UK households rely on natural gas for heating, and industrial demand is also rigid. During the recent global energy market turmoil caused by shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, the UK’s energy security issues have become especially prominent.

“With global energy markets becoming increasingly volatile, the UK’s zero tariffs on core offshore wind power components are a result of Europe’s energy security situation being forced, a trend in the broader move toward global green and low-carbon transition, and they also open up new room for the further deepening of pragmatic cooperation between China and Europe in the field of green energy.” Chen Ying said.

Accelerating the shift:

Reducing dependence on the outside and strengthening resilience

The North Sea is not only about energy—it is also about Europe’s economy and strategic energy security. Only by continuously advancing offshore energy development and realizing intelligent interconnection can Europe reduce dependence on the outside and strengthen its own resilience

Today, the world’s geopolitical landscape is undergoing major upheavals, and ensuring the stability and security of energy supply chains has become a strategic priority for European countries. As the core market for Europe’s offshore wind power, the UK’s tariff adjustment policy has also set a development example for European countries, helping Europe’s energy transition to speed up across the board.

“Europe’s acceleration toward new energy comes directly from repeated and ongoing energy shocks. After the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis in 2022, Europe faced a serious natural gas crisis. Needing to quickly break away from dependence on Russian natural gas, aggressively developing renewables became an urgent choice. In May of that year, the first North Sea Summit was held, aiming to accelerate new energy construction and ensure independent, stable energy supply.” Chen Ying said.

Recently, while the aftershocks of the Ukraine crisis have not faded, additional uncertainties have emerged in the Middle East. Tightness in the Strait of Hormuz has again pushed up oil and gas prices, taking Europe’s energy security anxiety to its peak. The vulnerability of reliance on external energy has been exposed beyond doubt. In its recent report titled the “2026 Q1 Natural Gas Market Report,” the International Energy Agency (IEA) forecast that Europe’s 2026 liquefied natural gas (LNG) import volume is expected to exceed 185 billion cubic meters, setting a historical record.

The North Sea is a strategic maritime area connecting Northern Europe, Western Europe, and the UK: to the east, it links industrial hubs such as Germany and Denmark; to the west, it connects to economies like the UK, where energy consumption demand is strong; and to the north, it extends to regions with high energy supply potential such as Norway, naturally forming a chain of “production—transmission—consumption.” Offshore wind resources in the North Sea are stable and highly predictable. Neighboring countries have high electricity demand loads and strong absorption capacity, and transmission costs are relatively controllable. In addition, spanning multiple national borders provides the practical conditions for large-scale, cross-border coordinated development. Thus, the North Sea has become an important strategic support point for Europe to tap future energy systems.

The third North Sea Summit, held recently in Germany, adopted the “Hamburg Declaration.” Representatives from countries including Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, and Norway reached multiple agreements on cross-border cooperation in Europe’s energy supply and joint development. The participants focused on committing to strengthen cooperation to build cross-border offshore wind power networks in the North Sea, striving to make the North Sea Europe’s largest green energy base, and aiming for a combined offshore wind installed capacity of 100 GW by 2050—equivalent to providing clean electricity for more than 140 million households.

In recent years, to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels and promote a green, low-carbon transition of the economy, European countries have rolled out a series of renewable energy development plans. In 2025, the investment momentum of Europe’s wind power industry is relatively strong: a total of €45 billion will be投入 (invested) in new wind power projects, with onshore wind and offshore wind roughly each accounting for half. The European Wind Energy Association believes this figure, while not reaching the historic peak, is already above the average level of the past five years, indicating that investor confidence is recovering somewhat.

According to media reports, by 2030 Europe is expected to have about €9.5 billion in funding going to the offshore wind power supply chain in the North Sea, focusing on wind power technology research and development, equipment manufacturing, and related infrastructure development. By 2050, about one-third of offshore power generation in the North Sea region is expected to come from cross-country cooperation, which could create more than 90k new jobs and deliver about €90k in economic benefits.

Katrina Leysche, Minister of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy of Germany, said that the North Sea is not only about energy, but also about Europe’s economy and strategic security. “Only by continuously advancing offshore energy construction and realizing intelligent interconnection can Europe reduce dependence on the outside and improve its own resilience.”

Big trend:

Green cooperation, broad prospects

The big trend toward a green, low-carbon transition is irreversible. Open cooperation in the green energy sector can achieve win-win outcomes for multiple parties. Energy security and the low-carbon transition have become global consensus, and open cooperation with complementary strengths is the only way forward

“Looking at the world, the big trend toward a green and low-carbon transition is irreversible. The UK’s zero tariffs on key components for offshore wind power have strong demonstration significance, showing that reducing trade barriers and promoting cooperation along the industrial chain is a pragmatic choice to develop new energy more quickly.” Chen Ying said, “Open cooperation in the green energy sector can achieve win-win outcomes for multiple parties. For importing countries, it can accelerate the energy transition, ensure stable energy supply, and reduce emissions. For equipment-producing countries, it can expand markets and drive industrial upgrading. For the world as a whole, it helps jointly address climate change and build a more stable, clean, and sustainable global energy system. Green cooperation has become an important direction for international cooperation.”

Experts said that although many countries have proposed ambitious offshore wind installed-capacity targets, Europe’s progress in grid-connection for offshore wind power is seriously lagging. What is even more difficult is the “chokepoint” problem in the local supply chain. Growth in wind power installation requires large numbers of wind turbines to be delivered quickly, but energy crises have pushed steel prices higher, and European domestic manufacturing has lost cost competitiveness. Europe’s wind power production capacity still falls far short of long-term demand. The huge supply-demand gap can only be filled from outside.

With the surge in Europe’s demand for offshore wind power, China-Europe energy cooperation has entered a new opportunity. According to data from BloombergNEF, in 2025 the top ten global wind turbine manufacturers will include eight from China, and for the first time, the top six will be fully taken by China.

“Within the global pattern of green energy, China is playing an important leading role. China’s domestic new energy installed capacity continues to grow rapidly, and the export competitiveness of the ‘New Three’ is strong, strongly supporting the global energy transition.” Chen Ying noted. He also said that a report recently jointly released by the International Research Institute of Green Finance at Central University of Finance and Economics and the UK Development Studies Institute—titled “China’s Overseas Investment in Renewable Energy Development Layout (2022–2025)”—shows that from October 2022 to June 2025, Chinese enterprises cumulatively participated in more than 500 overseas renewable energy projects. Facts have proven that China’s green cooperation projects align with local development needs and can stand up to verification through practice and time.

The UK’s tariff policy has also broken trade barriers in some parts of Europe, pushing the globalization of the global wind power industry cooperation further and deepening it. In this context, “localized deployment” has become the core mainstream strategy for Chinese wind power companies to go abroad.

“Without a doubt, the global green industrial chain is still facing interference from protectionism. Some countries impose restrictions on the pretext of security, affecting the stability of global supply chains. In addition, Europe also faces a dilemma along the path of the green transition. Europe used to be the vanguard of the global energy transition, but the Ukraine crisis has disrupted its original rhythm. Energy prices remain high, industrial costs have risen, and doubts about the green transition have emerged in society. China-Europe energy cooperation faces some uncertainty, but as energy security pressures continue to rise and interactions deepen after visits to China by leaders from countries including the UK and Germany, China-Europe cooperation in green development is gradually warming up, and space for cooperation continues to expand.” Chen Ying said, “Overall, energy security and the low-carbon transition have become global consensus, and open cooperation with complementary strengths is the only way forward. The UK’s landing of zero tariffs on key offshore wind power components injects momentum into the development of clean energy in Europe’s North Sea region, and it also provides important insight for global green cooperation. Although China-Europe green cooperation still faces some disruptions, market rules and shared demand determine that the cooperation prospects remain broad.” (Reporter Zhang Hong)

《People’s Daily Overseas Edition》 (April 01, 2026, Issue 08)