The world-beating European offshore wind turbine manufacturers could be under threat, with Chinese player MingYang launching a record-sized 16 MW turbine model this week, specifically tuned for North Sea deployment. While this may ring alarm bells for those who remember China’s decimation of Europe’s solar industry in the early 2010s, an emphasis on quality will be what determines the result of this battle. The MySE 16.0-242 has a 242-meter rotor diameter – another record – and is designed for high-wind sites, classed as IEC IB, or typhoon-class sites, IEC TC. Its 118-meter-long blades give it a swept area of nearly 46,000 square meters. Having achieved design certification from DNV and China’s General Certification Center (CGC), MingYang has scheduled a full…