Developers behind Europe’s first large-scale floating wind farm in the North Sea have denied a report that a Chinese company has been selected as its turbine supplier. 

Green Volt is being developed by Scotland-founded Flotation Energy and Vargronn, a joint venture between Italy’s Eni and HitecVision, a Norway-based provider of capital to Europe’s energy industry.

According to a report in The Sun, the developers have chosen Mingyang to supply 35 turbines for the 560MW Green Volt project.

Mingyang is China’s largest floating offshore wind company and the SNP government gave it “priority” status in its Strategic Investment plan.

However, in a statement, Green Volt said that, as yet, no turbine supplier has been confirmed.

“Having secured a Contract for Difference from the government last year, we are identifying supply chain partners to help us build the windfarm,” a spokesperson said. 

“We will comply with any Government regulation and guidance around security of critical national infrastructure in the selection of all our suppliers.”

Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who visited Beijing last month, is said to have been promised hundreds of millions of pounds of investment if the deal goes through.

A government source told The Sun: “The fear in the Treasury is that if we don’t get this factory the investment will go to Italy.”

Critics have expressed fears that it would be a step towards handing China too much influence over the UK’s energy security while the the Ministry of Defence raised concerns that the floating structures could be used as spy sensors.

Ed Miliband’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero warned China could switch off the power plunging homes and oil rigs into darkness.

Aberdeen is the strategic and operational headquarters for Green Volt. Up to 40 direct jobs are to be based at the HQ, triggering around £2.5bn of investment and 2,800 jobs in construction.

Former Scotland deputy first minister and Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Lord Nicol Stephen was one of the founders of Flotation Energy, based in Edinburgh.

It was acquired in November 2022 by Japan’s largest utility and one of its largest companies, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO).