Germany’s economy ministry will look “very closely” into a deal to supply Chinese-made wind turbines for an offshore project in Germany’s North Sea, saying on Wednesday questions of critical infrastructure and competition must be addressed.

Under the deal between German asset manager Luxcara and Ming Yang, the Chinese group would supply 16 turbines, each with a capacity of up to 18.5 MW, set for installation in 2028.

The ministry comments come amid broader trade tensions between Europe and China, recently focused on electric cars where the EU has proposed tariffs on Chinese imports.

Earlier on Wednesday, Europe’s wind industry lobby criticized the deal, saying it gave China access to critical infrastructure in Germany and that Europe’s supply chain had been ready to deliver turbines for this project.

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