Discovery of 'kill switches': Can China turn off our lights with the flick of a switch?

Recently, secret, minuscule communication devices were discovered in Chinese inverters that control solar panels in the United States.

Specifically, according to Reuters, American experts found unauthorised communication components in inverters and batteries of Chinese origin. These devices, which are normally used to connect solar and wind power to the electricity grid, were found in some cases to possess secret components that were not listed in the official documentation. As a result, firewalls could be bypassed and devices could be remotely disabled or manipulated. This could happen on a large scale as China is a global leader in the market for inverters, batteries, and solar panels. For example, in Europe, it is estimated that more than 200 gigawatts of solar capacity – equivalent to 200 nuclear power stations – depend on Chinese inverters.

Manipulating these devices could thus allow Beijing to deliberately cause large-scale blackouts, writes The Telegraph, a theory also confirmed by Reuters.

How many devices this 'ghost equipment' was discovered in remains unclear for now as the investigations are secret. The US Department of Energy emphasises that it is "essential that consumers have full insight into the capabilities of their equipment".

'Slander', but NATO also warns

The Chinese government already calls the claims a slander campaign. However, concerns are also growing within NATO, as it recently stated that China is actively trying to gain control over critical infrastructure in the West, including energy.

(FVDV - Source: Reuters/The Telegraph - Illustration: ©Unsplash)