The importance of cross-border infrastructure for security has made it a target for sabotage. Since 2022, nine incidents of damage to energy and communications links have been recorded in the Baltic Sea alone. And the Baltic is not the only target: in April 2025, Russian hackers hit a Norwegian hydropower plant , while September 2025 saw further incidents – including a gas train explosion near Vilnius, an arson-caused blackout in Berlin and Israeli strikes in Qatar, a key European gas supplier.
Ember's report highlights the vital role of interconnectors in preventing outages and aiding recovery. In Poland, a 2021 substation error caused a major frequency drop that was quickly stabilized with interconnector support. In 2020, Poland warned a record generation loss from causing blackouts, largely through emergency imports. Interconnectors also helped restart the Iberian grid in April 2025 and supported France's power supply in 2022.
While 55% of Europe's power system has suboptimal electricity import options, Spain, Ireland and Finland are especially exposed to grid incidents due to minimal cross-border infrastructure.
"Without immediate action to expand and protect interconnectors, blackout risks will grow, particularly in countries with limited supply diversity. This needs to be treated not as an energy priority, but as a vital element of protecting European society against attacks. In times of instability, European countries should actively develop cross-border connections to safeguard the security of millions of Europeans", says Pawel Czyzak, Europe program director at Ember.
