Berlin, November 8, 2024. "The current draft of the KRITIS umbrella law remains unclear on the question of how far the state wants to hold the operators of offshore wind turbines responsible for their protection. The industry needs this clarity. We consider protection against attacks to be a state sovereign task that cannot be delegated to operators of offshore wind farms," ​​says BWO Managing Director Stefan Thimm.

"The operators of offshore wind farms also want an open dialogue about the requirements associated with the KRITIS umbrella law. The new draft, for example, explicitly mentions the 'protection of maritime infrastructure'. We welcome this new wording. Nevertheless, it remains unclear to us what consequences this will have for operators. Regulating these tasks via regulations of the Federal Ministry of the Interior does not offer the necessary transparency and does not provide sufficient opportunities for participation. We are interested in pragmatic solutions with the fastest possible reporting channels - the current draft leaves some questions unanswered in this regard. As a directly affected industry, we would like, among other things, to be involved in the creation of the resilience plans," he adds.

"Physical, digital or hybrid attacks can happen at any time in the current geopolitical situation. It is therefore important to quickly ensure the protection of critical infrastructure such as offshore wind farms through a law," said Thimm.

Background:
On November 6, the “Law to implement Directive (EU) 2022/2557 and to strengthen the resilience of critical installations” – also known as the KRITIS umbrella law – was passed by the Federal Cabinet. Offshore wind farms, as operators of critical installations, fall under this legislation.