Brussels, June 18 (Xinhua) — Overview | China Europe Green Capacity Cooperation Provides Wide Opportunities for the World
At the historical milestone of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Europe, from clean energy power plants in the Balkans to zero emission ships in Nordic ports, from photovoltaic industrial parks in the Iberian Peninsula to intelligent production lines in China Europe automobile factories, China Europe cooperation in ecological protection and green production capacity is advancing with unprecedented depth and breadth. Both sides use clean energy as a link and technological innovation as an engine to jointly address the challenges of climate change, providing practical examples and broad opportunities for global green transformation.
Clean energy projects help Europe’s green transformation
In Central and Eastern European countries, a series of clean energy projects invested and built by Chinese companies are continuously exerting green benefits. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Ivovik wind power project jointly invested and constructed by China Power Construction and China General Technology Group has been connected to the grid for more than 9 months. The installed capacity of this project is 84 megawatts, making it the largest wind farm in Bosnia and Herzegovina in terms of single unit and total installed capacity. The annual power generation can reach 259 million kilowatt hours, and the annual reduction of carbon dioxide emissions is about 240000 tons, providing strong support for the transformation of the local energy structure.
Marinko Chavala, Vice Chairman of the House of Representatives of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Parliament and Chairman of the Asia Friendship Group, recently stated in an interview with Xinhua News Agency that from the Ivovik wind farm to the Dabar hydropower station and other clean energy projects built by Chinese enterprises, these tangible projects are subtly changing people’s lives and promoting the country’s long-term development.
On May 15, 2025, guests attended the groundbreaking ceremony of a photovoltaic project in Kolrat, Croatia. (Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Xuejun)
In Croatia, the Kolrat Photovoltaic Project, undertaken by Northern International and Shandong Electric Power Engineering Consulting Institute, started construction in May and will become the country’s largest photovoltaic project after completion, with an annual power supply of 165 million kilowatt hours and an expected reduction of 150000 tons of carbon emissions per year.
In Southern Europe, Portugal and China are increasingly cooperating closely in the fields of photovoltaics and lithium batteries. Pedro Amaral Jorge, CEO of the Portuguese Renewable Energy Association, stated that he will continue to expand cooperation with China in the future to achieve Portugal’s goal of installing 22 gigawatts of solar energy by 2030. In 2025, the lithium battery factory invested and constructed by China Innovation Airlines in Portugal will officially start construction, with a total investment of 2 billion euros, to help upgrade the local new energy industry chain.
Green industry chain cooperation has become a new trend
In recent years, Chinese brand electric vehicles have become increasingly popular among European consumers. Chinese car companies accelerate localization in Europe: BYD is building a passenger car factory in Hungary, Chery is partnering with Spain’s Ebro to produce electric vehicles, and SAIC Group has previously stated that it is considering building an electric vehicle factory in Europe.
On November 23, 2024, in the Barcelona Free Trade Zone in Spain, guests experienced the first model of a joint venture factory between Chinese automaker Chery and Spanish company Ebro. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Juan Gosa)
Not only that, companies related to the industrial chain have also joined forces to go global, promoting both sides to work hand in hand on the path of green transformation: CATL has successively built battery factories in Germany, Hungary, and Spain; Guoxuan High Tech collaborates with Slovak companies to jointly build an electric vehicle battery factory in Shulani, which is considered the second largest foreign-funded project in the country’s history. These new energy technology companies are providing localized supply chain support for European car companies such as BMW and Volkswagen.
German automotive expert Dudenhofer stated that the acceptance of China’s green production capacity by the European automotive industry is increasing day by day, not only due to its mature industrial chain and cost-effectiveness advantages, but also because of the continuous innovation of Chinese enterprises in the fields of batteries, vehicle intelligence, power systems, etc., providing practical solutions for Europe’s green transformation and becoming an important engine for global automotive green transformation.
In Romania, Chinese companies continue to deepen their layout in the fields of photovoltaic power generation and manufacturing. Shandong Dahai New Energy Co., Ltd. and local partners have invested in setting up a factory in Klelahi County, with an annual production capacity of up to 2000 megawatts of photovoltaic modules, becoming the first large-scale photovoltaic manufacturing base in the local area. Pinggao Group, a subsidiary of China Electric Equipment Group, has also launched a new photovoltaic power station project to assist in the green transformation of Luo Energy’s structure.
Herbert Diess, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of German chip manufacturer Infineon Technologies and former CEO of Volkswagen Group, pointed out that China has become a pioneer in the global electrification process. He called on Europe to learn from China in key areas such as photovoltaics and energy storage.
Green scientific research technology cooperation continues to deepen
In Northern Europe, China Norway green shipping cooperation has entered the fast lane. The second China Norway Green Cooperation Symposium was recently held in Oslo, and the two sides reached multiple consensuses in areas such as green shipping, carbon capture, and battery power.
Evan Sagbaken, State Secretary of the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, stated that China and Norway have complementary advantages in green transformation. China has strong industrial strength, while Norway has rich experience in the field of green shipping and enormous potential for cooperation. Knut Haared, CEO of the Norwegian Shipowners Association, pointed out that Chinese shipyards are building the world’s most advanced ships and are important partners for Norwegian shipping companies.
At the Norway International Maritime Exhibition held this month, more than 60 Chinese companies showcased their innovative achievements in fields such as wind assisted propulsion, carbon capture, and battery power. The head of Det Norske Veritas stated that the shipping industry cannot achieve net zero emissions by 2050 without deep cooperation with countries such as China.
In Bulgaria, Shanghai Jiaotong University, together with four Bulgarian universities and scientific research institutions, held six international conferences on “the Belt and Road” climate change and rural revitalization. China Insurance Research Institute cooperated to prepare the “Bulgaria Rural Climate Risk Assessment Report”, and formulated countermeasures for rural climate adaptation in Bulgaria. The “Rural Climate Risk Assessment and Adaptive Design” technology provided by the Chinese side has been included in the “Bulgarian Rural Sustainable Development Assessment Technology System” by the Bulgarian side.
The 4th China Central and Eastern European Countries Expo and International Consumer Goods Expo will be held in Ningbo, Zhejiang from May 22 to 25, 2025. On May 22nd, the audience was queuing up to visit the “Smart Central and Eastern Europe” exhibition area. (Photo by Jianghan, Xinhua News Agency reporter)
At the China Central and Eastern European Countries Expo held in May this year, the Slovenian delegation had in-depth exchanges with Chinese green technology companies including Huawei Digital Energy and BYD, and signed memorandums of cooperation for multiple pilot projects to promote the landing and application of green technology in Slovenia.
From wind power to photovoltaics, from maritime to agriculture, from electric vehicle manufacturers to on chain enterprises joining forces to go global, China Europe green cooperation covers a wide range of fields and has a sound track of project implementation. In the face of increasingly severe global climate challenges, China and Europe are working together to promote green transformation, which not only injects momentum into their own development, but also provides a green cooperation sample for the world to learn from.