Power outage affects 40,000 households in Schleswig-Holstein

A major power outage struck western Schleswig-Holstein on Sunday, October 18, 2026, affecting up to 40,000 households. The disruption, which began around 9:31 AM, impacted parts of five districts: Dithmarschen, Nordfriesland, Schleswig-Flensburg, Steinburg, and Rendsburg-Eckernförde.

According to the network operator, Schleswig-Holstein Netz (SH Netz), the cause is suspected to be a short circuit in the 110-kV high-voltage grid. This fault triggered overvoltages and the shutdown of several substations, leading to significant damage to electrical installations, burnt-out appliances, and several fires.

While most households were reconnected by 11:48 AM through network switching, additional problems and secondary outages occurred throughout the day. Full restoration for most areas was not achieved until approximately 5:00 PM.