Centrii warns cyber attacks on battery storage could cause UK blackouts

A report by cybersecurity firm Centrii warns that coordinated cyber attacks on Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) could trigger a national blackout in the United Kingdom, potentially causing between £2 billion and £10 billion in economic damage.

The report introduces a threat scenario named ‘Gridlock,’ where hackers exploit cloud-controlled architectures to manipulate the physical properties of energy storage. By gaining control of multiple BESS units, attackers could rapidly charge or discharge energy to desynchronize the grid frequency. Centrii experts suggest that compromising approximately 29% of the UK’s BESS—roughly 400 units—could destabilize the entire national grid, affecting up to 67 million people.

Centrii’s Monte Carlo simulations indicate a high probability of such an attack occurring within the next several years under current security conditions. The vulnerability is heightened in Great Britain due to the lack of grid isolation and the high concentration of BESS capacity in England. While BESS units are essential for maintaining grid stability and integrating renewable energy, their digital connectivity creates new attack surfaces for hostile actors.