The electricity sector is one of the most strategic and vital sectors, as it is essential for the functioning of all other sectors without exception. A disruption in this domain can lead to widespread consequences. Specifically, a major incident in the power system, such as an outage or blackout can interrupt social, economic, political, and cultural activities.
Generally, a power system is composed of power plants, transmission lines, and transformer stations. Developing and maintaining this infrastructure requires substantial investment and significant financial resources. Therefore, many less developed countries continue to face limited access to electricity, as the high cost of electricity production renders the service unavailable in numerous regions.
One of the major challenges facing the electricity sector is the continuous rise in demand, driven by population growth and industrial development. At the same time, the cost of primary energy resources is increasing due to their scarcity, particularly Oil and Gas.
In addition to these issues, electrical facilities face other challenges related to protection against technical incidents. A tragic example is the 1986 disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine, where a reactor exploded following a core meltdown. Another incident occurred in 2011 in Fukushima, Japan, where a tsunami struck the nuclear power plant, leading to a major disaster.
Therefore, it is essential to safeguard electrical infrastructure—especially nuclear facilities—against both technical failures and natural disasters. However, another growing threat is military attacks targeting such installations during armed conflicts. This has been evident in recent conflicts, such as the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine and the recent tensions between Israel and Iran.
This article addresses the issue of electrical facilities in the context of armed conflict and presents a set of recommendations aimed at protecting these vital assets from potential threats.
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The electricity sector is one of the most strategic sectors, as it is essential for the operation of all other sectors without exception. A failure in this sector can have widespread consequences. In particular, a major incident in the power system—such as an outage or blackout—can disrupt social, economic, political, and cultural activities. All sectors are interdependent, and none can function effectively without support from others.
In general, a power system consists of power plants, transmission lines, and transformer stations. This infrastructure requires substantial investment and significant financial resources. As a result, many economically challenged countries still lack adequate access to electricity, and this service remains unavailable in many regions.
A major challenge facing the electricity sector is the continuous increase in demand, driven by population growth and industrial expansion. At the same time, the cost of primary energy resources is rising due to their scarcity—particularly oil and gas. Even water resources are becoming limited as a result of climate change, which has led to a decline in the viability of hydropower plants.
In aditional, electcrical facilitis are faacing oher challenge that consist of protect him from eventual tesncical incident such as happen in disaster of nuclear power plant of chernobyle ukranian in 1986 when one if reactor explose following fusion inside. Other inceident happen but this one is natuarl in 2011 in Fukushima japan when tsunami heat the nuclear power plant and cause the disater.
Then, we have to protect electrical facilities and espacily nuclear plant from any technical or natural anolmies, but other danger facing these facilites is millary attack that target these kind of facilites duarng the confliact scch as russin ukranian conflict and the last nbestewwen isratel and iran.
In this article, we discuss the topic of Electrical Facilities in the Context of Armed Conflict and and we answer the major question why these facilities are not hidden. Â
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Power System and Energy Security
Most nations are working to strengthen their power system infrastructure to better withstand potential natural or technical incidents. Given its critical role, the electricity sector is a top priority for decision-makers and governments. When the power system operates reliably, all other sectors function effectively, industrial machinery runs, transportation systems remain operational, and the agricultural sector maintains productivity.
As a result, economic security, national security, food security, and cybersecurity are all closely tied to energy security. One of the clearest examples is an electrical blackout, which often triggers widespread panic and paralyzes activities in the affected region. Such disruptions can weaken the overall security apparatus, leaving a country vulnerable to attacks, even in the absence of an ongoing crisis.
Therefore, the power system must remain as stable as possible, particularly in terms of frequency and load balance. It must also be safeguarded against all forms of cybersecurity threats or breaches and remain ready to respond swiftly to any unforeseen incident.
Despite all preventive measures, incidents still occur frequently due to the dynamic and constantly rising nature of electricity consumption. In fact, there is never a perfect match between the demand curve of the previous day and that of the current day, new variables constantly influence energy demand.
Why Electrical Facilities Are Targeted in Conflicts
There are several reasons why warring parties often target electrical facilities during conflicts. Among the main reasons are:
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Paralyzing Key Sectors of Activity
As previously mentioned, all sectors depend on the power system. A disruption in electricity affects multiple areas of activity. Since targeting every sector individually is difficult and inefficient, attackers often focus on the power system to maximize impact. Damaging electrical infrastructure can cause long-term outages, with recovery sometimes taking weeks or even months, depending on the extent of the destruction. The more widespread the attacks, the greater the damage. As a result, essential services like transportation, industry, and telecommunications are slowed or completely halted, giving an advantage to the attacking party.
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Reducing Military Supply Chains
When electrical facilities are destroyed, many other sectors are disrupted, leading to shortages in essential supplies such as weapons, food, fuel, and spare parts. These shortages weaken the military’s ability to defend and can lead to the loss of strategic positions. And If we look at past conflicts, we notice that before the onset of war, industrial sectors often ramp up production beyond normal levels. This is done in anticipation of a prolonged conflict, in order to avoid shortages of critical resources during wartime.
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Weakening Defense Systems
Attacks on power infrastructure can cause partial or total blackouts, triggering widespread panic and regional instability. Without electricity, there is no communication, no internet, no lighting—making it extremely difficult to defend any region. Blackouts are among the worst-case scenarios a country can face. During such events, even defense systems like radar, missile shields, and air defense networks are at risk due to power loss.
While strategic defense systems are usually supported by backup solutions such as batteries or emergency generators, these are only temporary. Batteries must be recharged, and generators require fuel—which may not be available during prolonged outages.
Why Electrical Infrastructure Is Not Hidden
The electricity sector is one of the most capital-intensive sectors in terms of investment. Building electrical infrastructure—such as power plants and substations—requires substantial financial resources. For example, the average cost of constructing a 1 MW power plant is approximately $1 million. This means that a plant with a capacity of 250 MW would cost around $250 million.
Thermal power plants, in particular, are complex systems composed of various cooling circuits (for water, air, steam, fuel, etc.). Moreover, the land area required for building such facilities typically exceeds 1,000 m², and this area increases depending on the type of plant—whether it’s coal-fired, nuclear, or hydropower.
In general, land-based (onshore) installations are significantly less expensive than offshore facilities, and the majority of powr plant are situtted in open air, only hydropowerplant that sittuetetd underground beacuse it is conception with dam. According to the Cost of Wind Energy Review: 2024 Edition by NREL, the estimated cost of land-based wind energy is $42/MWh, compared to $117/MWh for offshore installations and $181/MWh for floating substructures. These figures highlight how costs rise substantially as infrastructure becomes more complex and less accessible.
Therefore, the electricity sector demands heavy investments and large-scale infrastructure. Installing electrical facilities in covered or remote areas—such as mountainous or underground locations—would dramatically increase costs. This is why most power infrastructure is built in open-air locations, despite the exposure risks.
A best example is nuclear power plants. Even though their security is a top priority, they are still built in open environments because of the space needed for numerous auxiliary systems and circuits. Covering or hiding such vast and complex facilities is practically and economically unfeasible.
Conclusion and Recommendations
The electricity sector is strategic and essential, as it supports the functioning of various other sectors such as industry, agriculture, and transportation. Governments implement necessary measures to secure these facilities against natural and technical incidents. However, during times of war and conflict, such infrastructure often becomes a primary target. The objective is to weaken the opposing side's capacity and slow down its advancement.
When electrical infrastructure is damaged by weapons, the consequences are significant, with substantial material losses and humanitarian impacts. This has been clearly seen in recent conflicts, such as the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, which has lasted for more than three years. From the outset, both sides have sought to damage each other’s electrical systems to reduce operational capabilities. Although some installations are protected by defense systems, they remain vulnerable. Successfully targeting this infrastructure can pressure the opponent into making concessions—or, in extreme cases, surrendering.
A similar situation occurred during the recent conflict between Iran and Israel, where both sides attacked electrical installations, including power plants, leading to severe and lasting damage.
Unfortunately, modern conflicts no longer target only military bases. Civilian and industrial facilities are increasingly under attack. These infrastructures are a public right, and their destruction constitutes a serious crime comparable to other attacks against civilians. The people who depend on these services are innocent and should not suffer the consequences of political or military actions.
Therefore, public opinion must demand the establishment of new international laws to protect neutral infrastructure during armed conflicts. The destruction of these systems threatens multiple critical sectors, including healthcare, industry, and transport, and it is ultimately civilians who suffer the most.