Plant maintenance, test + measurement
Electricity has become central to modern society. From water systems to telecommunications, finance, and transport, nearly every essential service now depends on reliable electrical power. Yet, as power systems become increasingly digitalised, decentralised, and interconnected, they are also becoming more exposed to climate-driven hazards, cyber threats, and physical sabotage. Looking at electricity security challenges globally, Hitachi Energy’s view is that in Africa, where electricity systems are expanding and modernising, resilience is a necessity. Protecting Africa’s power systems
Mohamed Hosseiny, Hitachi Energy Africa.
“W e are entering a more complex risk environment,” says Mohamed Hosseiny, Oversight Country Managing Director for Africa at Hitachi Energy. “Climate volatility, digitalisation and geopolitical instability are converging. Electricity security needs to evolve accordingly.” Climate volatility and infrastructure stress Over the past five decades, weather-related disasters have increased in frequency and severity. Extreme heatwaves, floods, wildfires, and droughts are placing unprecedented strain on electricity infrastructure worldwide. Africa is particularly vulnerable to climate variability. Prolonged droughts can constrain hydroelectric output. Extreme heat reduces thermal plant eiciency – and at the same time, increases electricity demand. Flooding can damage substations and transmission corridors. Infrastructure built for historical climate conditions is increasingly exposed to new extremes. Electricity security in this context requires forward-looking planning. Climate-amplified hazard scenarios need to be integrated into investment decisions across generation, transmission and distribution networks. “Resilience begins at the planning stage,” says Hosseiny. “We cannot design tomorrow’s grid based on yesterday’s climate assumptions. Forward-looking hazard modelling should inform every major investment.” Hardening infrastructure against extreme weather, reinforcing critical assets and diversifying generation portfolios are essential aspects of a resilience-driven strategy. Increasing cyber-physical threats As climate risks intensify, digitalisation introduces a parallel
“Security cannot be reduced to a checklist,” Hosseiny emphasises. “We must align cyber and physical risk management with system-level priorities. That means defining acceptable risk, investing accordingly, and collaborating across the entire ecosystem.” Such collaboration, including information sharing between utilities, regulators, technology providers and law enforcement, has become essential to prevent and respond to evolving threats. Decentralisation as an advantage Some of the same factors that expand risk also oer resilience benefits. Distributed generation, including roo¡op solar, community-scale renewables and battery systems, can reduce reliance on large, centralised power plants. In times of disruption, decentralised assets can maintain critical services even if parts of the grid are compromised. For Africa, where o-grid and mini-grid solutions are already part of the electrification landscape, decentralisation provides a powerful resilience lever. However, distributed systems need to be integrated into broader grid operations carefully, to avoid instability and ensure coordinated response during disturbances. System flexibility, spanning demand optimisation, storage, interconnectors, and active grid management, is therefore central to modern electricity security. Rapid recovery and institutional capacity Resilience is not only about preventing disruption; it is also about recovering quickly when disruptions occur. Strategic reserves of critical components such as large transformers and mobile substations can shorten restoration times significantly.
challenge. Modern electricity systems rely on advanced automation, remote monitoring, cloud platforms, and interconnected operational technology. These innovations enhance eiciency and visibility, but they also expand the attack surface. Cyber sabotage can involve malware, data manipulation, or intrusion into IT systems. More concerning is cyber-physical exploitation, where digital access is used to cause real-world damage by manipulating control systems or switchgear. Globally, cyberattacks on electricity utilities have risen sharply in recent years. Physical attacks and insider threats remain an additional concern. For Africa, strengthening cyber and physical security requires moving beyond compliance-driven approaches towards risk- based security postures.
Modern energy systems rely on advanced automation and interconnected operational technology.
20 Electricity + Control MAY 2026
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