The more important offshore wind becomes, the greater the risk of sabotage

2023-04-23 12:20:48

How do we exploit the North Sea to generate wind energy on a large scale? That question is central on Monday during a North Sea summit in Ostend, Belgium. Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Climate Minister Rob Jetten will be present, together with colleagues from eight other European countries around or near the North Sea.

A few days before that conference, a strikingly different message came out. Dozens of Russian ‘ghost ships’ regularly move across the North Sea and Baltic Sea, various Scandinavian media wrote. Often they have their location data turned off and are disguised as a fishing boat. The target? Mapping out the critical infrastructure at sea, and with that also the possibilities to sabotage it.

Because with the rapid growth of offshore wind, the safety risks are also increasing. “Large transformer platforms will be placed at sea,” says Frank Bekkers, director of The Hague Center for Strategic Studies (HCSS). “All the power from the turbines is collected in it, with the capacity of several power plants. If they come to a standstill, the energy supply on the continent could be endangered.”

No one entirely responsible

In 2021, HCSS published a study on the rapid economic development of the North Sea, in which safety risks played a prominent role. “Many parties are now aware of this,” he notes. “But no one is entirely responsible for safety issues on the open sea. Often the Navy or Coast Guard is quickly looked at. But it is simply not their job to secure all that critical infrastructure.”

Not much can be done against Russian reconnaissance operations at sea. The boats are allowed to move freely in international waters. “However, a prohibited safety zone of 500 meters does apply around such an installation. With cameras you can check there; Norway has recently stepped up the security of its oil and gas installations. And at sea you can sail next to such a Russian ship. To make it a little uncomfortable for them and to let them know that we at least understand what they are doing.”

However, a complete picture is difficult to obtain. Because what if the Russians secretly release a submarine via a trading ship under a different flag? And from there install a few inactive sea mines, which can be activated at the push of a button if it suits politically? “I don’t know if that will happen, but those scenarios are quite conceivable”, says Bekkers.

Nord Stream pipeline

The blowing up of the Nord Stream pipeline in the Baltic Sea is still fresh in people’s minds. Who was behind it has not yet been clarified. There is a difference between oil and gas pipelines and wind farms, Bekkers notes. “Such a pipeline is actually equally vulnerable everywhere, and that makes it even more difficult to defend. In a wind farm, the energy nodes are especially crucial: those transformer platforms.”

This makes targeted security easier. “You could choose to make more and smaller nodes. Then the consequences are more limited if one is sabotaged. But the choice for large transformers has actually already been made.” And transformers on land, or near the coast? This requires so many cables that it is financially and environmentally unfeasible.

Risk still limited

The risks of major problems are still limited, says Bekkers. Most of the energy comes from other sources. “But if more than half will come from offshore wind, this will be a major issue.”

In addition, Bekkers already suggested the arrival of a North Sea authority in his earlier report. Because there is now no one who really cares about safety at sea. But also not about the broader picture, which also weighs up the interests of, for example, the economy and ecology. A kind of North Sea mayor, actually. “There is currently no such party.”

It will not come after Monday’s North Sea summit either. “It is only about that on the sidelines.” Nevertheless, the countries involved can already take an indirect step, believes Bekkers. “Because it is about how countries connect their energy networks. This reduces the vulnerability if one link fails. This is also how you ultimately increase safety.”