The EU is moving forward with a plan to restrict funding for PV projects using inverters from high-risk suppliers, citing cybersecurity concerns and issuing new guidance to phase them out. A transition period applies for certain projects linked to the EU grid, while others must exclude such suppliers by 2027.
The EU has moved forward with a plan to halt funding for PV projects built with inverters supplied by high-risk vendors.
The move was initially reported by German news outlet Der Spiegel, which said the measure takes effect immediately.
“We are already facing concrete risks that require immediate mitigation,” a European Commission spokesperson told pv magazine. “To this end, the Commission has developed guidance on restricting the use of EU funds for projects involving inverters from high-risk suppliers.”
The guidance requires all EU-funded projects to comply with the latest cybersecurity standards, with the aim of phasing out high-risk suppliers.
“For projects connected, or planned to be connected, to the EU grid (both within and outside the EU), a transitional period is provided for projects already in the pipeline, provided they are notified to the Commission by 1 May and submitted for decision before 1 November,” the spokesperson added. “All other projects should exclude high-risk suppliers.”
For projects outside the EU and not connected, or planned to be connected, to the EU grid, inverters from high-risk suppliers should be phased out by 15 April 2027.
“Targeted derogations are foreseen, such as in cases of delays of more than one year, or other overriding political or security considerations,” the spokesperson said, without providing further details.
In January, the European Commission began to revise its Cybersecurity Act. While presenting the proposals in European Parliament, the commission’s Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, said dependency on a very limited number of solar inverter suppliers could “pose a significant security risk.”
Earlier In December, a security doctrine published by the European Commission identified solar inverters as a high-risk dependency.
Last this year, SolarPower Europe published a report on cybersecurity concerns surrounding solar installations in the European Union.
Since then, the Dutch government has said it is remaining vigilant to potential cybersecurity threats from solar inverters, while Lithuania has already banned remote Chinese access to management systems of solar, wind and storage facilities. In addition, Czechia’s cybersecurity office said Chinese solar inverters in small power plants are a potential security threat.
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