Chinese hackers threaten Europe's solar grid via inverter backdoors: Report
Synopsis
A report by Brussels Signal has laid out a stark warning: with Chinese-made inverters powering 80% of Europe's new solar capacity, and firms like Huawei and Sungrow legally obligated to assist Beijing's intelligence services, China reportedly controls infrastructure capable of triggering blackouts across more than 220 gigawatts of European power — far beyond the 10 gigawatts needed for a severe continental outage.
Key Takeaways
A Brussels Signal report warns Beijing could theoretically trigger continent-wide blackouts by exploiting backdoors in Chinese-made solar inverters.
Approximately 80% of Europe's new solar installations use Chinese-made inverters , dominated by Huawei and Sungrow .
Both firms are reportedly bound by China's 2017 National Intelligence Law to assist state intelligence services.
Control of just 10 gigawatts is estimated to be sufficient to cause a severe European grid outage; China commands infrastructure for over 220 gigawatts , according to the European Council on Foreign Relations .
The European Commission moved in May to block EU funds from purchasing Chinese inverters, a step critics called belated.
A new report has warned that Europe's solar energy infrastructure faces a critical cybersecurity threat, with analysts cautioning that Beijing 'theoretically commands the ability to cause massive blackouts all around Europe' by exploiting hardware backdoors or pushing malicious software updates to millions of connected inverters simultaneously.
The Inverter Vulnerability
At the heart of the risk is the solar inverter — described in the report as the 'electronic brain' that converts solar energy into usable electricity for the wider grid. Because modern inverters require constant software updates, maintenance, and data monitoring, they remain permanently connected to the internet, creating a persistent attack surface.
According to the report, published by Brussels Signal, approximately 80 per cent of Europe's new solar installations rely entirely on Chinese-made inverters. State-linked firms including Huawei and Sungrow — both reportedly bound under China's 2017 National Intelligence Law to cooperate with state intelligence services — are said to almost completely dominate the market.
Scale of the Systemic Risk
The report characterises this market concentration as a 'staggering' systemic risk that 'transcends standard economic competition.' Cybersecurity experts cited in the report argue that a hostile actor with remote access to these devices would not need a conventional military strike to paralyse the continent's energy supply.
According to the report, it is estimated that control of roughly 10 gigawatts of electric power is sufficient to trigger a severe outage across the European energy network. By contrast, China currently commands the underlying infrastructure for well over 220 gigawatts, according to the European Council on Foreign Relations. The report concluded that Beijing has 'effectively been handed the master switch of continental electricity supply.'
Europe's Belated Policy Response
The European Commission moved in May to block EU funds from being used to purchase Chinese inverters. However, the report characterised this step as 'a humiliating admission of criminal, systemic blindness,' arguing the crisis reflects a political class that 'prioritises cheap, heavily subsidised Chinese imports over national security.'
Critics quoted in the report argue the vulnerability was not accidental but the product of sustained lobbying and regulatory complacency that allowed a single foreign power to gain de facto control over a critical layer of European energy infrastructure.
What Comes Next
The European Commission's procurement restrictions mark a first step, but analysts warn that replacing entrenched Chinese hardware across hundreds of gigawatts of installed capacity will require years and significant capital. The report stops short of prescribing a timeline, but the implicit urgency is clear: every new Chinese inverter connected to the European grid deepens a dependency that is now widely acknowledged as a strategic liability.
Point of View
Yet European regulators allowed Huawei and Sungrow to capture 80% of a market that now underpins continental energy security. The Commission's May procurement block is necessary but insufficient: it addresses future purchases while leaving hundreds of gigawatts of installed, internet-connected Chinese hardware untouched. The harder question — how Europe rips and replaces that embedded infrastructure without destabilising the very grid it is trying to protect — has no easy answer, and mainstream coverage has barely begun to ask it.
NationPress
11 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are Chinese solar inverters considered a security threat to Europe?
Chinese-made inverters control approximately 80% of Europe's new solar installations and are permanently connected to the internet for software updates and monitoring. Firms like Huawei and Sungrow are reportedly legally required under China's 2017 National Intelligence Law to cooperate with state intelligence services, meaning Beijing could theoretically exploit these devices to disrupt the European power grid.
How much power does China control through European solar infrastructure?
According to the European Council on Foreign Relations, China commands the underlying infrastructure for well over 220 gigawatts of European solar capacity. Analysts estimate that control of just 10 gigawatts is sufficient to trigger a severe continental outage, making the current dependency a significant strategic vulnerability.
What has the European Commission done to address the inverter threat?
The European Commission moved in May to block EU funds from being used to purchase Chinese-made inverters. Critics, however, have described the measure as a belated acknowledgement of a systemic failure, noting it does not address the vast volume of Chinese inverter hardware already installed across the continent.
What is a solar inverter and why does it matter for grid security?
A solar inverter is the electronic device that converts solar energy into usable electricity for the wider power network. Because modern inverters require continuous software updates and remote monitoring, they remain permanently connected to the internet — making them a potential entry point for cyberattacks on critical energy infrastructure.
Which Chinese companies dominate Europe's solar inverter market?
Huawei and Sungrow are the dominant players, according to the Brussels Signal report. Both are described as state-linked firms legally bound under China's 2017 National Intelligence Law to assist the country's intelligence services, raising concerns about the security of devices they manufacture that are embedded in European energy infrastructure.
