Following recent attacks on substations in Brandenburg and North Rhine-Westphalia, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs is intensifying efforts to bolster the protection of Germany’s electrical grid. Speaking to the editorial network Deutschland (Friday editions), a ministry spokesperson noted that the Russian war of aggression, increased sabotage acts targeting the economy, and the rise of extreme weather events have underscored the urgent need for Germany and its industrial sector to better defend its critical infrastructure (KRITIS). The spokesperson emphasized that sabotage against critical infrastructure poses a serious threat in the ministry’s view.
These incidents have once again revealed how crucial it is to consistently strengthen the resilience of the power system. Consequently, the Ministry for Economic Affairs and the Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) are maintaining close communication with relevant stakeholders, industry partners, and affected parties, implementing necessary measures decisively.
The strategy involves several key focuses. Firstly, there is a concerted effort to identify system vulnerabilities. Following the power outage in Berlin in January, the Ministry and BNetzA initiated vulnerability analyses aimed at identifying critical elements within the system and corresponding counter-measures.
Secondly, the focus is on making the power system robust. In collaboration with all essential participants, concrete steps are being taken to ensure system stability. A central element of securing the power supply is the construction of new power plants under the recently adopted Power Supply Security and Capacity Act (StromVKG). This legislation mandates various tenders for new generation capacity, ensuring supply security during the planned phase-out of coal.
The third priority, according to the ministry, is accelerating power restoration following an outage. This involves ensuring the availability of critical replacement parts and improving coordination among affected parties so that recovery can be significantly hastened when incidents occur.
Despite these vulnerabilities, the ministry spokesperson confirmed that the electrical supply in Germany remains secure. He added that the most recent incidents demonstrated that the stability of the power system was maintained at all times, and the general power supply was unaffected.
