Ministry of Foreign Affairs responds to seizure of photovoltaic panels

Should the European Union support a struggling European manufacturer of solar panels?

The European Union should support struggling European manufacturers of solar panels, but cannot close its borders to imports of such products, EU energy policy chief Kadri Simson said on Monday.

Is the British Army using solar panels?

When told the British Army was using solar panels made by JA Solar, Trina and Qcells, Mr Parr said: "Europe has been less attentive to the risk of forced labour in solar than the US". He said he would "differentiate" between the three companies supplying panels for Project Prometheus.

Are Uyghur solar panels being banned in the UK?

Alicia Kearns, chairman of the foreign affairs select committee, said that with the US and EU both passing laws to ban solar products made by Uyghur slave labour, many will end up in the UK where an estimated 98pc of solar panels are already Chinese made. The warning comes at a crucial time for the UK’s burgeoning solar industry.

Are Xinjiang solar panels exploitation of Uyghur Muslims?

The production of solar panels in the Xinjiang region has been linked to the alleged exploitation of Uyghur Muslims. The British Army is investing £200m in solar panels across four of its sites. The Ministry of Defence listed JA Solar, Trina and Qcells as the solar panel suppliers in response to a BBC Freedom of Information request.

Are Chinese detainees forced to produce solar panels?

In state-sponsored programmes, detainees are forced to produce goods including polysilicon, a core ingredient in solar panels, according to the US Department of Labor. The Chinese government has always staunchly denied all allegations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

Why is the US blocking shipments of solar energy components?

The US has been blocking shipments of solar energy components since passing the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act in 2021. Project Prometheus began in the same year, as allegations of forced labour in solar supply chains came into sharper focus.