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🇩🇪 Germany /Energy & Infrastructure

Amprion chief calls for greater freedom to protect the power grid

From Die Zeit · () German

Translated from German and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire Named sources Ongoing story
  • Amprion chief executive Christoph Müller urged Germany’s government to ease transparency rules and allow companies to use broader surveillance measures to protect critical infrastructure.
  • He called for regular drone patrols of power lines and camera monitoring around facilities after a series of sabotage attacks on substations.
  • Amprion operates about 11,000 kilometers of high-voltage lines across seven German states, mainly in the west and southwest.

Christoph Müller, head of German transmission grid operator Amprion, wants companies to have more room to protect themselves after attacks on the country’s electricity network.

Industry has to make a lot of information about electricity and gas networks public and put it online. That makes it unnecessarily easy for attackers, regardless of where they come from.

· Christoph MüllerHe argued that Germany’s transparency rules expose infrastructure information that could help attackers.

“Industry has to make a lot of information about electricity and gas networks public and put it online. That makes it unnecessarily easy for attackers, regardless of where they come from,” Müller told the Rheinische Post. He called on the federal government to loosen transparency requirements.

Müller also wants broader permission to use video surveillance and drones. He said companies currently cannot have drones regularly patrol and monitor power lines. Cameras may observe only a company’s own property, not the surrounding area. “We appeal to the federal and state governments to allow us to use video surveillance around our facilities,” he said.

We appeal to the federal and state governments to allow us to use video surveillance around our facilities.

· Christoph MüllerHe called for permission to monitor areas surrounding Amprion facilities.

A series of sabotage attacks on substations this week renewed debate over the security of critical infrastructure. Müller said Amprion could not rule out further attacks. “We have to reckon with that. But we are prepared for anything,” he said. There is no complete protection, he added, but the company must be able to manage the threats. “And we can: Our teams are always ready for action.”

We have to reckon with that. But we are prepared for anything.

· Christoph MüllerHe discussed the possibility of further attacks on the electricity network.

Amprion is one of Germany’s four major transmission system operators. Its network runs from the North Sea to the Alps across about 11,000 kilometers of high-voltage lines, including through North Rhine-Westphalia, where several attacks on substations occurred.

And we can: Our teams are always ready for action.

· Christoph MüllerHe said Amprion could manage threats despite the lack of complete protection.
About this summary

Originally published by Die Zeit in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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