BEE urges Germany to build grid backup after sabotage attacks

The German Renewable Energy Federation (BEE) has urged the government to create a national power grid emergency backup system to better protect the country against infrastructural attacks.

BEE pushes for emergency grid backup

Following suspected sabotage attacks on two substations in Berlin and North Rhine-Westphalia this week, BEE president Ursula Heinen-Esser (CDU) is calling for Germany to develop a “backup system for emergencies”. 

Speaking to Rheinische Post, Heinen-Esser said that there was “no complete protection against such attacks” but “at this stage of the energy transition, we can be more conscious about minimising the risks and set up our energy supply so that possible attacks can be discovered earlier and have smaller ramifications.”

The former North Rhine-Westphalia environment minister said developing more bioenergy and hydropower facilities, which can be restarted without an external electricity supply, would help protect Germany and limit disruption in future outages. Many smaller, decentralised generators could play a key role.

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BDEW wants more CCTV near plants

Meanwhile, Kerstin Andreae, head of the Federal Association of Energy and Water Industries, called for looser data protection rules to enable more CCTV surveillance around critical infrastructure facilities.

The recent suspected sabotage incidents took place at the Turnow-Preilack substation in southeastern Brandenburg and the Bergheim substation near Cologne. 

Minister of the Interior and for Municipal Affairs of the State of Brandenburg, Jan Redmann (CDU), confirmed to the press on September 1 that explosive devices had been found near the Turnow-Preilack plant.

Interior Minister for North Rhine-Westphalia, Herbert Reul (CDU), said police suspect anti-constitutional sabotage and that two units in Bergheim would be reconnected only over the coming weekend. The incidents in Bergheim have not led to any considerable power outages, according to Deutschlandfunk.