Europe's huge solar infrastructure at critical threat from Chinese hackers: Report
New Delhi, July 11
A new report has warned that by exploiting hardware backdoors or pushing malicious updates simultaneously to millions of inverters, key components of the massive solar infrastructure, Beijing "theoretically commands the ability to cause massive blackouts all around Europe".
The inverter is the "electronic brain" that converts solar energy into usable electricity for the wider network.
Since these modern devices require constant software updates, maintenance and data monitoring, they are permanently connected to the internet, said the report in Brussels Signal.
"Today, approximately 80 per cent of Europe's new solar installations rely entirely on Chinese-made inverters, with state-linked giants like Huawei and Sungrow, firms legally bound under China's 2017 National Intelligence Law to assist the state's intelligence services, almost completely dominating the market," the report said.
This "staggering concentration" creates an unprecedented systemic risk that transcends standard economic competition, it added.
According to the report, Europe has systematically planted a much more sophisticated, digital threat deep inside its critical infrastructure.
According to cybersecurity experts, a hostile actor possessing remote access to these connected devices would not even need to launch a conventional military strike to paralyse the continent.
The report said that it is estimated that it takes control of roughly 10 gigawatts of electric power to achieve a severe outage of the European energy network.
China currently commands the underlying infrastructure for well over 220 gigawatts, according to the European Council on Foreign Relations.
"This means the ruling regime in Beijing has effectively been handed the master switch of continental electricity supply," the report noted.
The European Commission in May moved to block EU funds from purchasing Chinese inverters. But this move "is a humiliating admission of criminal, systemic blindness".
"The crisis has again been the fault of a naive, if not bought out by lobbyists, political class that prioritises cheap, heavily subsidised Chinese imports over national security," the report mentioned.
— IANS
Reader Comments
As an energy professional, I've seen this coming for years. The Chinese National Intelligence Law is clear - they're legally bound to cooperate with their intelligence agencies. Europe walked right into this trap. But let's not pretend India is immune - we have similar dependencies in our renewable sector. Time for a serious rethink of supply chain security.
This report is alarming but not surprising. The EU's obsession with cheap Chinese goods has always been shortsighted. Remember how Huawei was banned from 5G networks? Same logic applies here. India should take note and not repeat Europe's mistakes - especially when it comes to our smart grid projects and renewable energy targets. Better safe than sorry! 🤔
Finally someone is talking about this! I've been warning my colleagues in the renewable energy sector about this for years. The inverters are literally the brain of the solar system, and giving that control to a foreign power with a track record of cyber espionage is madness. Europe needs to diversify its supply chain immediately, even if it costs more.
While the security concerns are valid, let's not forget that Chinese companies like Huawei and Sungrow have provided reliable, cost-effective technology that helped Europe achieve its green goals. The problem isn't Chinese technology per se, but the lack of oversight and alternative suppliers. India's PLI scheme for solar manufacturing should be accelerated - we can become the trusted alternative. 👨💻
This is why India needs to be careful with our "China plus one" strategy. While we reduce dependency on Chinese imports, we
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