German Police Investigate Suspected Sabotage at Power Substation Near Cologne

By Staff, Agencies

German authorities are investigating a suspected sabotage attack on an electrical substation near Cologne after a short circuit disrupted several power lines, police said Wednesday.

A police spokesperson in Essen told the German Press Agency that investigators do not currently believe the incident was caused by a technical failure. Instead, they suspect it was a deliberate criminal act.

The incident occurred in the Rheidt district of Bergheim in the Rhein-Erft area. Police were called to the facility at around 8 p.m. Tuesday after reports of a technical malfunction.

The short circuit caused several power lines to fail, but authorities said the wider electricity supply was not interrupted.

The substation is operated by energy company Amprion, which confirmed that an incident occurred near its Rommerskirchen facility. The company said the disruption affected power plant feeders and resulted in equipment failures at RWE Power.

Amprion said the general electricity supply remained stable throughout the incident. Its specialists are working with security authorities to determine what happened and assess the consequences.

The suspected attack near Cologne came just one day after another incident involving electrical infrastructure at a major power plant in Brandenburg.

In that case, Brandenburg Interior Minister Jan Redmann said unidentified suspects had used projectile devices to cause a short circuit on an extra-high-voltage line near the Jänschwalde power plant.

Authorities have given differing accounts of whether an explosion occurred. Police said devices apparently made from pyrotechnic materials were discovered at an electrical substation, while some media reports said improvised incendiary and explosive devices had been found.

Redmann said authorities could not confirm that an explosive device had detonated.

Grid operator 50Hertz reported that unknown perpetrators had damaged several transmission lines, temporarily disrupting operations. The lines were subsequently restored and the public electricity supply was not affected.

The Jänschwalde facility, located near Germany’s border with Poland, is one of the country's largest lignite-fired power stations.

Meanwhile, another incident occurred Wednesday in Augsburg, southern Germany, where an explosion at a railway station left at least two people with minor injuries.

The station building and Track 1 were temporarily closed, while trains were rerouted and local public transportation was disrupted. Several windows were also damaged.

Explosives specialists from the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office were sent to the scene as investigators worked to determine the cause of the blast.

The series of incidents has prompted increased attention from German authorities toward potential attacks on critical infrastructure, although no connection between the separate events has been established.

Alternative title: Suspected Sabotage Hits German Power Infrastructure Near Cologne as Investigations Continue