Ports and terminals worldwide are being urged to prepare for power outages, as blackouts pose a growing risk to global supply chains.

TT Club, the global freight and logistics mutual insurer, has warned that ageing energy grids and growing reliance on electrically powered and digital systems are increasing commercial, safety and insurance risks.

The threat was underscored during the 2025 Iberian Peninsula blackout, which showed how the failure of a single transformer was able to halt transport operations across multiple countries for several hours.

As energy systems integrate renewable sources, maintaining continuous supply is becoming more complex. Uncertainty around global climate and energy policy, including delays to shipping decarbonisation efforts, may slow investment needed to stabilise future power networks. At the same time, ports are increasingly dependent on electricity for cranes, pumps, security and digital operations, leaving them vulnerable when outages occur.

TT Club is urging ports and terminal operators to improve resilience by identifying critical systems and acceptable downtimes, strengthening IT and communications redundancy, maintaining emergency power supplies, training staff in safe shutdown procedures and planning recovery carefully to avoid further damage.

“Power outages are no longer rare or isolated, they’re an operational reality that every port and terminal must factor into its resilience planning,” said Harry Palmer, risk assessment manager at TT Club. “Preparing for both local and widespread blackouts, rehearsing safe shutdowns, and ensuring alternative communication methods are in place are essential steps to protect people, assets and supply chains when the unexpected happens.”

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