BERLIN (dpa-AFX) – Germany’s energy infrastructure is being attacked more heavily than in other European countries, according to Siemens Energy CEO Christian Bruch. “We have to acknowledge that critical infrastructure cannot be fully protected in every respect. In my view, the threat environment has increased markedly over the past 12 to 18 months,” the executive told the German Press Agency.
“As a large country that would be a transit country in the event of a conflict and plays a key role, we are particularly exposed,” Bruch said. “We need to be clear about that. And the public should be clear about it, too.”
Most recently, attacks on the power grid in Brandenburg and North Rhine-Westphalia drew attention. Investigators assume both incidents can be traced back to unconstitutional sabotage.
“The incidents are increasing”
Bruch sees the rapid drafting of the civil operations plan as urgently necessary to be able to respond to crisis situations. The issue is protecting electricity or water infrastructure, as well as the food supply in the event of a crisis. “We need to prepare for that. Because you have to accept that all of this could be signs of hybrid attacks,” the executive said. “The incidents are increasing, and on the cyber side the frequency of attacks on infrastructure is also rising significantly.”
The new threat environment requires a structured approach. “We have to ensure that we can repair damage quickly. We would not be adequately set up for that today. The legal prerequisites are in place, now it is about quickly becoming operational.”
“Strengthen repair capability”
Critical infrastructure is difficult to protect and can be disrupted with simple means, the CEO conceded. The focus, therefore, is also on strengthening “repair capability,” meaning rapidly fixing potential damage with intervention teams. That is well organized in Ukraine, for example, where critical infrastructure is constantly attacked by Russia.
This includes fast reporting chains and knowing where spare parts are stored. “That is far more important than believing I could protect everything.” When managing and protecting infrastructure, resilience has to be planned in as well. And, moreover, you have to say: “I don’t need to write ‘Attention, important switchgear’ on every piece of important infrastructure now. In Germany, we make that very visible.” That is not necessarily ideal.
Siemens Energy was spun off from Siemens in 2020 and listed on the stock market as an independent company. The energy technology group develops, produces and supplies technologies and solutions for power generation and transmission, for renewable energy, including wind turbines, as well as for industrial energy applications. The company ranks among the world’s leading energy technology companies. In fiscal 2025, Siemens Energy employed around 103,000 people worldwide, including around 27,000 in Germany./am/DP/zb