by XI Jinghua

Chinese wind turbine manufacturers are pushing into Europe and other developed markets, seeking higher margins and new sources of growth beyond China's fiercely competitive domestic market.

Chinese companies secured more than 14 gigawatts (GW) of overseas turbine orders in 2025, up from less than 0.5 GW five years earlier, according to information obtained by Jiemian News at the China Wind Power 2026 exhibition in Beijing on October 15.

The shift was evident at the exhibition, where manufacturers reported stronger interest from overseas customers.

"We have been developing the Turkish market for three or four years, and we now receive about 2 GW of orders annually," a representative of Windey Energy told Jiemian News after meeting a Turkish customer.

The representative said Chinese manufacturers were stepping up efforts to promote the bankability of their turbines, including through roadshows highlighting potential financing benefits for overseas customers.

The overseas push comes as manufacturers seek relief from intense price competition at home. According to Guosen Securities, wind turbines generally sell for 50% to 150% more overseas than in China, while after-sales services offer additional profit opportunities.

Chinese manufacturers occupied the top six positions in global rankings by newly installed wind power capacity in 2025. China's wind turbine exports rose 35.6% year on year in the first half of 2026, according to customs data.

Sany Renewable Energy and Windey also reported strong overseas revenue growth, posting year-on-year increases of 300.1% and 426.1%, respectively, in the first half of 2026.

A Sany representative told Jiemian News that the company had 5 GW of contracted overseas orders on hand in the first half, with its expansion extending from Central Asia and India into Latin America, Europe and the Middle East.

Windey said it had about 7 GW of overseas orders this year, with projects and business development spanning Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America.

Chinese manufacturers previously concentrated much of their overseas business in emerging markets, often alongside projects linked to the Belt and Road Initiative. Over the past two years, however, they have increasingly targeted more demanding markets in Europe, East Asia and Australia.

Sany connected its first European wind turbine to the grid in Spain's Zaragoza province in June. Ming Yang Smart Energy has installed 10 offshore turbines at Italy's Taranto port, while Goldwind's cumulative installed capacity in Europe reached 1.23 GW by the end of June.

In South Korea, Ming Yang has installed 76.2 MW of offshore wind capacity in a project that the company says was the first involving a Chinese turbine brand to secure local financing.

Envision Energy is also supplying 23 turbines for an onshore wind project in Western Australia.

But winning orders in developed markets increasingly requires more than competitive equipment prices.

"Overseas customers often don't start by asking whether the product is good," LOU Yimin, senior vice-president of Envision Energy, told Jiemian News and other media. "They ask where the spare parts, maintenance teams and remote-control centers are located."

Envision has spent five years building local service capabilities in Vietnam, combining equipment sales with technical support and long-term maintenance.

"What matters is understanding local demand, developing local supply chains and hiring local employees," Lou said.

Other manufacturers are investing in local production. In August, Sany and a Pakistani partner began assembling turbines at a jointly developed manufacturing facility, with planned annual capacity of up to 2 GW.

Sany also plans to establish five to six overseas regional service centers and has begun developing wind projects overseas to support its equipment business.

The shift toward localization comes as Chinese manufacturers face mounting regulatory and commercial barriers, particularly in Europe.

European policies are placing greater emphasis on local manufacturing and supply chains, while Chinese wind power companies face increasing scrutiny over subsidies and other trade issues.

PENG Chengyao, executive director for power and renewables research at S&P Global Energy, said overseas tenders increasingly included non-price requirements covering certification, installation records, local supply chains, financing reliability and digital security.

Manufacturers must account for these additional costs when assessing overseas markets, she said.

WEI Min, deputy general manager of Windey, told Jiemian News that Chinese companies had faced growing pressure over the past two years, including tougher requirements involving certification, taxation and employment.

He called for closer coordination among Chinese manufacturers and suppliers, as well as efforts to make Chinese standards for large wind turbines more widely adopted overseas.

Guosen Securities expects annual new wind power installations outside China to exceed 80 GW.

Sustaining that growth will require Chinese manufacturers to meet tougher financing, localization and regulatory requirements.